Question 1

How long is the Tesla Model 3 battery warranty?

Accepted Answer

Eight years, with the mileage cap set by trim. Tesla's warranty document states 8 years or 100,000 miles for Model 3 Standard or Standard Range Plus, and 8 years or 120,000 miles for Model 3 Long Range or Performance, whichever comes first, each with minimum 70% retention of battery capacity over the warranty period. Tesla's support page states the same two tiers in current trim names: Model 3 RWD at 100,000 miles, and Model 3 Premium RWD, Premium AWD and Performance AWD at 120,000 miles.

Question 2

Does the Tesla Model 3 battery warranty cover normal degradation?

Accepted Answer

No. Tesla writes that the battery "will experience gradual energy or power loss with time and use" and that loss of battery energy or power over time or resulting from battery usage is not covered, except as specified in the warranty. The Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty states the floor only as "minimum 70% retention of Battery capacity over the warranty period," without defining how retention is measured. Tesla does phrase the 70% floor as a defect standard — free from defects that would cause capacity retention to fall below 70% — but that wording belongs to the separate Battery ZEV Limited Warranty, which Tesla limits to model year 2026 and later. Tesla also states that range estimates are an imperfect measure of battery capacity, and that the measurement method is at Tesla's sole discretion.

Question 3

Does the Tesla Model 3 battery warranty transfer to a second owner?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tesla's warranty document states it "is transferable at no cost to any person(s) who subsequently and lawfully assume(s) ownership of the vehicle after the first retail purchaser." Tesla's support page adds that it transfers when a vehicle ownership transfer is performed through Tesla.

Question 4

What is excluded from the Tesla Model 3 battery warranty?

Accepted Answer

Tesla excludes damage from intentional actions, including ignoring active vehicle warnings or service notifications, from a collision or accident, and from the servicing or opening of the battery or drive unit by non-Tesla or non-certified personnel. Also excluded: attempting to extend or reduce the battery's life by physical means or programming, exposing the battery to direct flame, and flooding it. Battery fires run the other way, covered even if the result of driver error, but with a carve-back: coverage does not extend to damage already sustained before the fire, or to any damage if the fire occurred after the vehicle had already been totaled. Separately from these exclusions, Tesla's Voided Warranty section lists circumstances in which the whole warranty can be voided for a car, including a defaced VIN, a tampered odometer, a branded title, or an insurer's total-loss determination.

Item	Answer
Term	8 years, both tiers
Mileage cap	100,000 or 120,000 miles depending on trim; see the two tiers below
Capacity floor	Minimum 70% retention of battery capacity over the warranty period
Normal degradation	Not covered; the floor is minimum 70% retention
How capacity is measured	At "the sole discretion of Tesla"; the vehicle's range estimate is not the measure
Replacement pack	Not necessarily new: a condition appropriate to the vehicle's age and mileage, sufficient to meet the minimum capacity for the rest of the original warranty period
Transfers to a second owner	Yes, at no cost. Tesla's support page attaches the condition that the ownership transfer is performed through Tesla
Whole warranty voided by	A defaced VIN, a tampered odometer, a branded or unclean title, or a vehicle an insurer has declared a total loss

Coverage	Warranty document names	Support page names
8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km), minimum 70% retention	Model 3 Standard or Standard Range Plus	Model 3 RWD
8 years or 120,000 miles (192,000 km), minimum 70% retention	Model 3 Long Range or Performance	Model 3 Premium RWD, Model 3 Premium AWD, Model 3 Performance AWD

Coverage	Term	Gated by
Battery ZEV Limited Warranty	8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km)	Model Year 2026 and later, and a Warranty Region of the United States or Canada
High-Priced Propulsion-Related Parts ZEV Limited Warranty	7 years or 70,000 miles (110,000 km)	Model Year 2026 and later, and a Warranty Region of the United States or Canada

Tesla Model 3: Battery Warranty

Coverage at a glance

The two mileage tiers

ZEV warranties

What is excluded

See it for yourself

Scope note