I Sold My Tesla Model Y After One Year, and I Offer This Advice To New Buyers of Teslas

I disagree with all the alleged negative characteristics of the model Y listed above except #3; yes the ride quality can be harsh on bumpy, poor quality roads. But the harsh ride has been corrected in the new 2025 models. Plus the new 2025s are even quieter than previously. The build quality in my 2020 model Y is excellent. The performance at all levels is excellent. The insurance costs a little than more than ICE vehicles, but I have spent nothing on the car in 5 years except for new tires at 28K miles. It is by far the best car that I have ever owned, and will most certainly buy another one. Beware of negative reviews based upon politics.

I have owned a model Y for 4 years and it is a good car. It has had very few repairs, is fast, and has decent cargo space. Unfortunately, I do have to agree with most of the negatives listed above. While I do like my car, my next car will still be an EV, just not a Tesla.

I bought a Model 3 LR at the height of the chip shortage, when used car prices were approaching those of new cars. With values declining, I will be upside down for most of the term of my loan.
I have not one single regret in my purchase. The car drives great, looks good, is extremely durable (177,000 miles, mostly Uber) and has ample range (260+ in warm weather, compared to 303 rated when new).
Most of all, the money I have saved in fuel, maintenance, and repairs more than pays for the car. It's cheaper to own, even with a $700 car payment, than my Ford, which I owned outright.
If my car got totaled today, I would try to buy another Tesla in my way home from the crash!
Only two repairs needed to be done so far. I had to replace the low-voltage battery ($105 and under 20 minutes at the Tesla dealer) and my horn failed ($180 and 40 minutes). And the battery that was replaced was 5 years old, so it served as expected.
Best of all, the car keeps getting better with continuous updates.
I cannot go back to gasoline.

I considered several EVs BEFORE I bought a Tesla Y and, ultimately, it came down to charging. I charge at home 95% of the time but need to drive from San Francisco to LA for family. At the time I bought my Y, Tesla had not yet opened their charging stations to other vehicles. The drive would have gone from 7 hours to 12 hours easy. If my Y was totaled for some reason, I would not buy another. I would look at other EVs that can charge at Tesla charging stations.

This is a helpful article. Our family owns 2 EVs, neither are Teslas. We did a lot of research before selecting each of our cars, each time concluding that the Teslas were simply too expensive and less reliable than the cars we eventually selected. This article spells out the features that we also observed, both good and bad.

The bottom line is this: If you are considering an EV, take time to consider more than just one make or model. Tesla may have had a "first mover" advantage, but those days are over.

Sounds like you haven’t driven the refreshed models

I agree 100% with OP. But FSD make me loves my model Y even more. I will stick with Tesla forever unless other car manufacturer come up with something like FSD

Take a look at the list and you know it's nothing more than anti-Elon propaganda. My model Y drives great and FSD is a stress and life saver especially in heavy traffic. It's okay to say you disagree with Elon's politics, attacking a great car company just because of that is cheap tactics.

I think the Model Y is a good car. It is quite capable. The latest Y is fairly well-designed. It solves many of the issues, but not the underlying issue.

Tesla software is well-designed. However, it is tuned for incremental updates, which delights many, but irritates others.

The underlying issue for me, is Tesla is a heartless car -- all of them. Luxury cars can inspire the driver. Teslas are fast and gave great utility but do not inspire. They are built with a ruthless effeciency -- as if it is on a journey to a dark place. At least we know now that place is robotaxi.

BTW, I own both a Y and a 3.

I

🖕

I drive a 1st-production Model 3, which I have owned now for 7yrs, but have not driven nor ridden in a Model Y. Not a single one of the remarks above applies to my Model 3, so I have to assume that Tesla quality went down over thecyears or that, in spite of its popularity, Model Y is not a good compromise. My Model 3 is the most comfortable car I've driven ,(incl. Audi 6 series, Mercedes 300S, a Maserati that was my reference point for years, a Lincoln Town Car, etc.). Moreover, its handling is very precise and predictable for a non-sport model.
I'd also assume that choosing the Performance version would automatically result in a much less pleasant ride under most circumstances: the height of the sidewall is one of the most important attributes for comfort, after all and a stiffer suspension won't help.
It is of course possible to combine sporty handling and comfort, of course, but probably not under 6 figures and only in a car designed from the ground up for sporty handling. Tesla does not make a sports car (yet), it just makes regular sedans and SUVs that happen to accelerate very fast.

As far as mileage is concerned our 2022 Model Y gets slightly better than EPA estimated mileage in and around the city. On longer trips we get the mileage estimated by the Tesla Navigation App and that mileage is always less than the EPA averages. Hills are the enemy of good mileage and to a lesser extent strong headwinds and regrets lot of both here in R Ed no, Nevada.

Use the Nav App and you will not be surprised or caught out of juice even though you may be disappointed by the range.

Yes I think most of those issues are small at best. I have 160k miles on my Y . That said after 1 year, you have yet to experience the best part to long term ownership. Even with the battery degradation, my Y is better today than the day I bought it. The amount of software updates we have received makes this car better and better. Never in my life have I had a car or truck that has improved after 5 years of ownership. The new Juniper will address most of the items on your list. Although the Elon hatred is real, and I agree with it, it won't stop me or the public at large from buying and driving the most useful tool that has been sold in a long time. I still want to leave a better planet for my grandkids.
I still want to do right by switching to electric, lower carbon foot print, use less fossil fuel. Most of the public at large will, in my opinion, agree.

I have driven electric cars for over 8 years. I bought a refreshed Midel 3 last year. On long trips the charging system has been flawless. The range is exactly as advertised. The ride is smooth and it is quiet. The interior white is excellent.

The lack of a turn signal stalk and wiper stalk is terrible. The high beam lights are not as good as the Bolt high beams. The system to automatically dim the high beams works but responds to the reflection from road signs and takes 4 seconds to return to high beam lighting after passing an oncoming car. Adaptive cruise control has a habit of slowing the car down for no reason. For this reason I have to constantly pay attention to traffic behind my car. The blind spot dot is not nearly as good as the display on my Bolt side view mirror.

All that being said, I bought the car for the charging infrastructure. I had too many problems with Electrify America over the years. At the time I bought the car only Ford and Rivian had access to the Tesla charging system. Even now there are quite a number of older chargers only accessible to Teslas.

The Model 3 solves the range and level 3 charger problem for me. I wish other things about the car were better but I have accepted them given that my number one problems are solved by this car.

Bro, a lot of what you said is true, but it is also true that a Tesla has a lot of advantages too. When I was researching Tesla, I knew all about the down sides, but I concluded that the upsides outweighed them. Despite the negatives, I am still very happy with my Tesla because I Knew what to expect. I am by no means a Tesla Kool-Aid drinker, but I do recognize it has a tremendous amount of tech to offer. It’s very simple, do your due diligence for any car you are considering instead of just jumping in feet first.

I have had my Tesla X for over 7 years. It is the best car that I have ever owned. The technology, ride, etc are all excellent. I have had minor issues with it. However, compared to all the other vehicles that I have owned, Tesla still ranks #1.

I would never consider owning a different EV. Rivian and Lucid will always remain boutique companies, if they survive at all.

Many articles.that.i read about Tesla.are from people who oppose Elon. However, the cars and network that Tesla has created will remain for years to come.

ME is confused. He never should have purchased the "Performance" version Model Y. I have a 21 Model Y all-wheel-drive. This model has a much more ride forgiving wheel/tire set-up. The build quality of my Tesla is excellent. I have never needed to use a Tesla service center. The vehicle has very few moving parts, no coolant, no spark plugs, no belts, no tune-ups needed. My Model Y needed new tires after 35K mi and the gas station I used replaced my wiper blades. The vehicle is very quick and agile with zero rattles. I have a 220V charger at my home and use the convenient Tesla fast chargers for long distant drives. Electric power for the Model Y is about 1/3 the cost per mile. I will probably have solar panels installed on my house; NY State and the US have tax credits for this. It's the best car I've ever owned.

We love our 2025 Tesla 3 great car great dealer experience and service.

First off, if you're hating on Tesla based solely on Elon or his political views, you're an idiot...
Being a Tesla MX owner since 2018, I will be the first to admit there are issues, but there's been issues with every car I've ever owned.
Tesla is a new car company, to try and compare it to the likes of Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, etc is inane... the build quality of those companies took years, multiple decades even, to get where they are at today, and their EVs get the benefit of all those years of R&D.
EVs' propulsion and energy storage tech are in their infancy, expecting them to compare to tech that has been around for over a 100 years is a tad unfair.
Cost to operate isn't bad, our electric bill went up 100.00 a month, when we drove just gas vehicles, we got up to 700.00 a month in gas...tires are my issue, I go through a set a year, cause that's the way I drive...
EVs can't compare to gas or diesel for heavy use, but using it as a daily driver since 2018, now with over 145k miles, it's by far the best overall vehicle I have.
Manage your expectations fairly, Teslas are great cars, get into them with the fair attitude, you'll love them, go into them looking for negative things, you'll find them for sure.
Now, I will day, I was and still am very disappointed for the false claims of range, I've never had an issue, but I learned how to drive the car for range, you're not going to be able to win the Cannonball Run with one, but that's not what they are really for.

I own a model three and my wife has the model Y both cars are outstanding maybe not luxury inside but sure premium we traded in a Lincoln and a BMW for these vehicles… sounds like Tesla hater. I don’t think she knows anything about electric cars just throwing BS out.

We have a 2021 and 2022 Model Y Performance and I can't understand why our experience is totally different from your's? The build quality is excellent, we have had zero problems with either car, they are fast, they handle exceptionally well for a SUV, lots of room, no maintenance, comfortable and on and on. The ride could be smoother but it is not bad especially when you consider how well it handles. Our 911s don't ride any better? We have a Porsche Macan S which is a $90,000 car with air ride and it rides better but the handling isn't even close and performance isn't close either. Hmm