Anyone who has bought an electric vehicle knows that you may save money on gas, but repairs can be costly. This isn’t the case for all EVs, but it’s definitely the case for Teslas which have developed a reputation for being extremely expensive to repair. The bad news is that if your Tesla needs to be fixed, it will cost you a ton of money. The good news is that this won’t last forever.

How much do Teslas cost to repair?

Engines can be expensive to fix, which is why many people think electric cars are cheaper. You don’t have to change the oil, there’s no need to replace the spark plugs because there are none, and you’ll never have engine failure.

EVs come with their own expensive repairs, however, and Teslas cost more than most. Slash Gear quoted RepairPal when it stated that Teslas can cost as much as 27% more than gasoline-powered vehicles. To break this down further, someone who has an internal combustion engine car will pay $652 a year in repairs, as compared to $832 for a Tesla.

This has a lot to do with the individual cost of parts. For example, a windshield for a Tesla Model X costs $1,500 or more to repair. 

The battery is where things get truly expensive. According to Motor and Wheels, the total cost of replacing a battery on a Model X ranges from $14,000–$17,000. The only good thing about this is that the batteries are expected to last around 200,000 miles.

Still, that’s a costly repair if something goes wrong, and you have to replace your battery sooner rather than later.

If you are involved in a wreck with your Tesla, your insurer may decide to write it off rather than repair it because the costs are so expensive. 

Why does it cost so much to repair a Tesla?

The first reason that Motor and Wheels gives is that Tesla goes all in with the tech. While some automakers tend to use cheaper materials in order to keep costs down, Tesla uses high-quality materials that come with an expensive price tag. There are also no third-party suppliers making parts for Teslas.

Many of these materials are not mass-produced, which also drives up the cost even more. It can be difficult to get the parts readily, which may mean a waiting period, as well as higher shipping costs.

Another factor in the expensive costs is the limited number of service centers. With most auto brands, you can run your vehicle down to your local auto shop, and they can repair it. Teslas require special tools, which means that many garages aren’t capable of repairing them. Because Teslas are also so technologically advanced and push the limits of what EVs can do, there aren’t a lot of people who can work on them.

To make things even more complicated, Tesla has a limited number of service centers. The EV automaker has cranked up production, but has yet to catch up with building enough service centers to keep up with demand.

Will repairs ever be truly affordable?

While it may seem like things will never change for these luxury EVs, they will eventually be cheaper to repair. As Tesla continues to grow, parts become more accessible, and auto body shops gain more experience working on them, then the cost will come down. Tesla is also making strides to open more service centers.

It’s impossible to know when this exact date is, however, so if you’re interested in a Tesla but aren’t sure you can afford the repairs, then you may want to put off buying one until a later date.