Is the Tesla Model Y reliable?

The Tesla Model Y scores 53/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure. That is computed from 172,010 real DVSA MOT test results. The main things to check on a used one are the hv battery degradation.

How much does a used Tesla Model Y cost?

A 2023 Tesla Model Y with around 36,000 miles is worth roughly £24,050 today (typical range £21,700–£26,350). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Tesla Model Y depreciate?

A new Tesla Model Y typically loses about 46% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Tesla Model Y?

The Tesla Model Y sits in insurance group 46 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Tesla Model Y?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Tesla Model Y are: panel gaps / paint quality (typically around Any, £0–£800 to put right); 12v battery (typically around 30k–60k, £280 to put right); tyres (front) (typically around 20k–30k, £600–£900 (set) to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Tesla Model Y cost to run?

Expect around 4.2 miles per kWh on the Long Range RWD, £620 a year in road tax. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Tesla Model Y ULEZ compliant?

The Tesla Model Y is pure-electric, so it is exempt from the London ULEZ charge and every other UK clean-air zone, whatever the registration year.

How many Tesla Model Ys are on UK roads?

About 125,767 Tesla Model Ys are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #18 car in the UK · SUV (EV) · 24,105 units sold last year

Tesla Model Y

The world's best-selling EV. Strong range, supercharger access and over-the-air updates. Refreshed 'Juniper' (late 2024+) added stalk-free steering and improved ride.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: SUV (EV)
Years: 2021–2026
Fuel: Electric
Range: 387 mi
Insurance: Group 46

The short version

16/100

Forecourt score

Value 30 · Reliability 7 · Insurance 4 · catalogue percentiles

The Tesla Model Y loses value faster than most cars and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is below average — an MOT score of 53/100. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 30% of models. The main things to check on a used one are the hv battery degradation.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Electric

Power

340 ps

Drivetrain

RWD

Efficiency

4.2 mi/kWh

The volume Juniper Model Y. 75 kWh NMC battery, 340 PS rear motor, RWD. 387mi WLTP range — best in lineup. 5.6s 0-62. 250 kW DC charging (10-80% in 27 min). Juniper refresh adds full-width light bar, retuned suspension, rear touchscreen.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20212026

Mileage on the clock36,000 mi

0Expected: 36,000180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£24,050

Range £20,300 – £28,100

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £49,000Age-based value£26,558Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region+£4Market calibration-£962Forecourt price£25,600Private sale£22,500Part-exchange£19,800

Waitthis 3-year-old

Still shedding value quickly — buying older saves the most.

At 36,000 miles it’s about the ~37,143 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

It keeps shedding value across the ages we track, though a 5-year-old one is down to about 14% a year from 24%. An older example (a ~2021 plate) is the cheaper entry.

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Tesla Model Y loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 36,000 miles you entered above — worth about £24,050 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 12,000 miles a year.

5-year total

£20,384

Per year

£4,077

All-in per mile

£0.34

Fuel per mile

6.4p

If a company carAround £60/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£30/mo at 20%) — 4% band (EV)

Depreciation£6,627

Fuel / energy£3,857

Servicing£350

Road tax£3,100

Insurance£6,450

If you're a company-car driver

At 4% BIK, this would cost a 40% taxpayer about £60/month in company-car tax (£30/month at 20%) — one of the strongest cases for choosing an EV via salary sacrifice. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 5 years

A 5-year-old example loses roughly £3,000 a year — 56% less than the £6,850 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 30%

Reliabilitybetter than 7%

Cheap to insurebetter than 4%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Long Range RWD / Standard RWD

UK's best-selling EV. Supercharger network advantage real (10k+ stations globally). Long Range RWD the volume — 387mi WLTP best in the segment. Build quality improving but still trails German competition. Cross-shop Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, BMW iX3 (replacing X4).

New price: circa £47,000
Annual fuel / energy: £800
3-yr depreciation: 53%

Watch for

·🔔 Panel gaps and paint defects historically common (Shanghai-built improving)
·12V battery failures on pre-2023 cars (recalled)
·Occasional touchscreen failures
·Steering yoke option polarising (not on most Model Ys)

Long Range AWD / Launch Series

AWD for buyers who need it (hilly UK, winter). Launch Series at £60k is the headline-grabber but Long Range AWD at £55k is the sensible AWD choice. Tesla still dominant in EV mindshare; Hyundai/Kia EVs increasingly competitive on price and quality.

New price: circa £55,000
Annual fuel / energy: £850
3-yr depreciation: 55%

Watch for

·AWD reduces range vs RWD
·Launch Series very limited supply — secondary market premium possible
·Performance variant Juniper still pending in early 2026

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 46 of 50 (very high — top of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,290/ year

Roughly £108 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,941	£3,677	£4,779
Age 26-32	£1,535	£1,806	£2,203
Age 33-39Selected	£1,135	£1,290	£1,522
Age 40-49	£964	£1,071	£1,242
Age 50+	£859	£955	£1,126

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage12,000 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 12,00030,000

Routine service

£0

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£88

Every 4 years, annualised

Road tax

£620

Standard rate, post year-one

Electricity

£771

4.2 mi/kWh, 27p blended

Insurance

£1,290

Age 33-39, group 46

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Electric variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,769 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£50

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£200

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£450

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · medium risk

Tyres

255/45 R19 · 255/40 R20 · 255/35 R21 (Performance)

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 18,000 miles.

Budget

£595

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Mid-range

£775

set of 4, fitted · £175 per tyre

Premium

£1,075

set of 4, fitted · £250 per tyre

What to fit

Summer

Michelin Pilot Sport EV

EV-specific tread with foam insert for cabin quietness. Tesla-approved.

All-season

Hankook iON evo AS

Designed for EV weights. Strong wet/dry compromise.

Summer

Continental EcoContact 6Q

Best rolling resistance — adds real-world range. OE choice on later Model Ys.

EV weight chews tyres roughly 25% faster than equivalent ICE car. Rotate front-to-rear every 6,000 miles.

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 36,000 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Panel gaps / paint quality

Typical at AnyCost £0–£800low severity

QC has improved post-2023. Inspect Berlin-built cars carefully.

12V batteryWatch now

Typical at 30k–60kCost £280low severity

Now lithium on facelift cars — much longer life.

Tyres (front)Already due

Typical at 20k–30kCost £600–£900 (set)low severity

Performance variant chews fronts; rotate regularly.

MCU storage (early units)Upcoming

Typical at 60k+Cost £800–£1,800medium severity

Mostly cleared up on AMD Ryzen MCUs (2022+).

Suspension control armsUpcoming

Typical at 60k+Cost £500–£900medium severity

Knocking; common UK pothole casualty.

HV battery degradationUpcoming

Typical at 100k+Cost £10,000+ (out-of-warranty)high severity

Typical degradation ~10% at 100k. 8yr/120k battery warranty covers most.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Tesla Model Y, from its 2025 assessment.

5/5

TEST YEAR2025

Current rating · valid to 2031

The passenger compartment of the Tesla Model Y remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 172,010 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

85.3% at 3yr → 86.4% at 4yr

A 3-year-old Model Y passes its MOT 85.3% of the time; by 4 years that has risen to 86.4%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

Not enough older examples yet to gauge longevity.

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a Model Y registered 2022–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 52,091 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels11.0%
Suspension1.9%
Lighting & signalling0.7%
Driver's view0.5%
Brakes0.4%
Seat belts & restraints0.3%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Model Y at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr37,143
4 yr45,063

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

53/ 100

Below average

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (52,091 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook

Insufficient MOT history at this car's reference age — too few tests to compute a reliable percentile.

Things owners say

01Heat pump is fitted to all post-2021 cars — winter range hit is now ~20%.
02Watch insurance group 48 — quotes are eye-watering for under-30s.
03Pre-2024 cars have stalks; facelift moves indicators to steering buttons — divisive.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Tesla Model Y, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Lower

As an electric car it has no catalytic converter, so the most common parts-theft vector doesn't apply.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Tesla Model Y into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

EV reality check

Winter range

225 mi

58% of WLTP

DC charge 10–80%

27 min

Typical

Heat pump

Standard

Standard fit

Battery chemistry

NMC

Higher energy density, faster charging, charge to 80% daily

Cost to charge

£6.43

per 100 miles · 27p/kWh

Winter range estimates assume ~5°C ambient with cabin heating; figures from manufacturer cold-weather testing where available, otherwise derived as a fraction of WLTP. DC times are manufacturer-claimed 10–80% on the headline charger; real-world sessions on UK rapids can be slower. Charging cost is a full battery at the home/blended electricity rate; public rapid charging costs more.

UK charging network

119,080 public chargers across the UK

As of 2026-04-01, the UK has 119,080 publicly available EV chargers, up 12.6% on the prior year (13,281 added in 2025). 23% of those are rapid (50 kW+) or ultra-rapid (150 kW+), so the network can support both home and on-route charging.

3-8 kW

50%

Standard

8-50 kW

27%

Standard plus

50-150 kW

12%

Rapid

150 kW+

11%

Ultra-rapid

Source: Department for Transport / Zapmap · Released 2026-05-21 · DfT statistics

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Tesla Model Y as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 0 g/km and a WLTP electric range of 387 miles, using £45,000 as the P11D value.

EVs sit at the bottom BIK band — currently 4% — so this is one of the cheapest ways to take a company car.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	3%	£270	£540	£23	£45
2026-27	4%	£360	£720	£30	£60
2027-28	5%	£450	£900	£38	£75
2028-29	7%	£630	£1,260	£53	£105
2029-30	9%	£810	£1,620	£68	£135

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Tesla is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~30

Limited network

Direct-sale EV

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Tesla is 0.7% of all franchised outlets)

A limited network — you may need to travel for main-dealer servicing, though independent specialists can often help.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

How many are still out there

How the UK Tesla Model Y fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

126,148

Currently taxed & on road

125,767

100% of all registered

SORN (off road)

381

0% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2022 to 2025

+22.6% vs 2024

35,300125,767

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the Tesla 3/Y platform

Tesla's compact EV platform shared between Model 3 and Model Y. Largely common drive units, battery packs, electronics. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

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Model 3

Tesla Model 3 / Model Y platform · Tesla

Common questions

Tesla Model Y, answered from the data

Is the Tesla Model Y reliable?: The Tesla Model Y scores 53/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure. That is computed from 172,010 real DVSA MOT test results. The main things to check on a used one are the hv battery degradation.
How much does a used Tesla Model Y cost?: A 2023 Tesla Model Y with around 36,000 miles is worth roughly £24,050 today (typical range £21,700–£26,350). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Tesla Model Y depreciate?: A new Tesla Model Y typically loses about 46% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Tesla Model Y?: The Tesla Model Y sits in insurance group 46 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Tesla Model Y?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Tesla Model Y are: panel gaps / paint quality (typically around Any, £0–£800 to put right); 12v battery (typically around 30k–60k, £280 to put right); tyres (front) (typically around 20k–30k, £600–£900 (set) to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Tesla Model Y cost to run?: Expect around 4.2 miles per kWh on the Long Range RWD, £620 a year in road tax. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Tesla Model Y ULEZ compliant?: The Tesla Model Y is pure-electric, so it is exempt from the London ULEZ charge and every other UK clean-air zone, whatever the registration year.
How many Tesla Model Ys are on UK roads?: About 125,767 Tesla Model Ys are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.