2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd: MOT pass rate and reliability
84% of 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance Awds pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,278 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 35,713 miles.
How the 2021 compares
- Against all Tesla Model 3 Performance Awds (81.9%, 10,815 tests): +2.1 points
- Against all 2021 cars (90%): -6 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2021 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 81.6% | 3,660 | 49,240 |
| 2020 | 81% | 4,824 | 43,780 |
| 2021 | 84% | 2,278 | 35,713 |
What this means if you are buying a 2021 Model 3 Performance Awd
The 2021 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.1 points more often than the Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 5-year-old car fails on
A 2021 car is 5 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is below average for a car this age, worth a mileage-consistency check since an unusually low reading is sometimes clocking rather than luck. On a 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd the average at test was 35,713 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2021 is the strongest year on record for this model at 84%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.