Tesla Model 3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Tesla Model 3 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 12.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,492 individual Tesla Model 3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 89.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 11 in every 100 Tesla Model 3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Tesla Model 3 tested had covered 48,778 miles and was built around 2022.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Tesla Model 3 sits 12.8 points above the national average, ranked 789 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Tesla Model 3 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Tesla Model 3s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Tesla Model 3

1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 6.5% of tests (2.02x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.7% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.1% of tests
4. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1% of tests
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.5% of tests
6. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.4% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre not fitted in compliance with the manufacturers sidewall instruction, 0.2% of tests (3.21x the national rate for this defect)
8. An obstruction significantly affecting the driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen or an obligatory external mirror not visible, 0.2% of tests (2.9x the national rate for this defect)
9. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.1% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.1% of tests

From 1,470 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model 3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 12.4% of these flagged Tesla Model 3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Tesla Model 3

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Tesla Model 3 before it actually fails on it.

1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 43.3% of tests (1.63x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.3% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.3% of tests, also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.6% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 2% of tests
6. Any part of the noise suppression system insecure, 0.4% of tests (3.27x the national rate for this advisory)
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.3% of tests
8. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 0.3% of tests
9. An obstruction significantly affecting the driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen or an obligatory external mirror not visible, 0.2% of tests (2.49x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.2% of tests

From 1,470 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model 3 tests, 2024.

Other Tesla models

• Tesla Model 3 Long Range Awd - 85.3%
• Tesla Model 3 Standard Range + - 85.6%
• Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd - 81.4%
• Tesla Model S - 80.4%
• Tesla Model X - 80.2%
• Tesla Model X Long Range Awd - 81.1%
• Tesla Model Y Long Range Awd - 91.1%
• Tesla Model S Long Range Awd - 84.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Audi E-Tron - 89.5%
• SEAT Ateca Se Technology Tsi Evo - 89.5%
• Volkswagen Golf R-Line Tdi S-A - 89.5%
• Audi A3 S Line 30 Tfsi Mhev S-A - 89.5%
• Caterham Seven (S3) - 89.5%
• Porsche Taycan 4x2 - 89.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Tesla Model 3's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate