The Most Important Details About the Tesla Extended Warranty | Autance

Tesla Extended Warranty Basic Inclusions

Tesla has a small, focused list of extended warranty plans that customers can choose from to extend the benefits of the original factory warranty. 

Warranty Plans

The company offers two primary warranty options to Tesla owners that only vary in length. This means that the primary coverage scope and inclusionary lists are the same, so you’ll only need to choose between the two lengths when deciding which one to buy from the dealership.

The two extended service agreements are:

• Two-Year Extended Service Agreement: 2 years or 25,000 miles
• Four-Year Extended Service Agreement: 4 years or 50,000 miles

The Tesla vehicle warranty covers repairs and replacements that may be necessary to correct any defective materials or workmanship in a Tesla vehicle. As an extended warranty, it’s impossible to include the coverage into the price of the vehicle itself. Instead, the warranty must be purchased separately within 30 days or 1,000 miles of the original factory warranty’s expiration date. 

Battery Coverage

In addition to the primary warranty extension plans, Tesla includes the original 8-year/unlimited-mile Battery and Drive Unit limited warranty that covers replacements for the actual drive unit of the vehicle. This warranty is necessary for an electric vehicle since it doesn’t use the standard components of most conventional vehicles. 

Tesla Extended Warranty Basic Exclusions

Tesla has a few notable limitations that are common with most automaker warranties. The company also leaves a few things out in terms of service coverage because of the unique drivetrain in its electric vehicles.

Maintenance Services

The extended warranty leaves a few services off the table that are common for the routine maintenance all vehicles need to continue to run. There is little coverage for normal wear and tear, the replacement and repair of tires, or damages that occur as a result of improper maintenance, abuse, or misuse.

Tesla claims that many of these services are left out because of the different drivetrain found in its electric vehicles. Since there is no traditional gasoline engine, for example, there’s no need for typical oil changes, spark plug replacements, filter changes, etc. 

Incidental Damage

The Tesla warranty offers little support for damages caused as a result of accidents or collisions. Common with most automakers, the lack of incidental coverage is due to the fact that the company can’t control the damage.

Other common sources of this damage include theft and vandalism, bad weather, road hazards, and other environmental factors.

Great Things about the Tesla Extended Warranty

Tesla does a good job of simplifying the act of purchasing extended warranty coverage. Unlike some automakers that either offer a single warranty option or a whole smattering of different plans, Tesla strikes a good balance with its two-plan approach, especially since the extended coverage matches the original warranty with both.

This simplifies the buying process since you only have to decide which warranty length you really want. You may find that the shorter two-year option will be enough if your vehicle is relatively free of defects. On the other hand, the four-year plan may be more appropriate if you want the extra peace of mind or need the coverage because of a higher rate of defects. 

Ugly Things about the Tesla Extended Warranty

The main drawback of Tesla’s approach to its extended warranty program is the lack of extra perks and customization options. While the simplicity it offers is great for understanding what you get with the warranty, it doesn’t leave much room to tailor the coverage plans to what you may need. 

This is easy to see with the lack of maintenance services under the warranty. Tesla does offer some prepaid maintenance plans you can purchase separately, but there is nothing within the warranty itself you can choose or add to get this value. Instead, you’ll need to pay even more for a separate plan in addition to the cost of the warranty itself. 

Finally, Tesla increases the costs of the two service plans after the 180-day window that starts upon delivery of the vehicle. So, while you can buy the extended warranty up to (and a little after) the expiration of the factory warranty, you’ll be paying several hundreds of dollars more for the same coverage.

Takeaway Value

There’s a good chance that the basic warranty extension Tesla offers is enough to meet your needs for vehicle coverage. Tesla has done a good job of structuring its factory warranty to cover the most important parts of its vehicles, and the basic extension just carries on these benefits. 

If you need something more, third-party coverage providers are always an option. For the simplicity and straightforward warranty process, however, Tesla is hard to beat.