Buying a used Tesla in Sydney — the 12 things that catch buyers out

Tesla is now the most-inspected used car in our Sydney workload. Most are fine — but the failure patterns are model-specific and not what an ICE-trained mechanic would look for. Here's our standing Tesla checklist.

1. Battery SOH and DC fast-charge count

Pull BMS via Scan My Tesla or our diagnostic tablet. Expect 92-95% SOH at 3 years / 60-80k km. Check Supercharger session count — over 400 sessions suggests rideshare use.

2. MCU (Media Control Unit) eMMC wear

Pre-2018 Model S/X had a flash-storage failure causing blank screens. MCU2 (mid-2018 onwards) is much better but can still degrade by year 6. We check uptime hours and read SMART data.

3. Suspension upper control arm rattle (Model 3/Y)

Common from 80,000 km. Listen for a soft knock over speed bumps at low speed. Tesla replaces under goodwill sometimes; otherwise $400-$700 per side.

4. Front lower control arm bushing wear

Reveals as on-centre wander and uneven tyre wear. Common from 100k km on Sydney roads.

5. Paint thickness on bonnet and roof

Early Fremont and Shanghai cars had thin clear coat. We measure with a paint depth gauge — under 90 microns means a re-spray is in your future.

6. Panel gap and frunk alignment

Pre-2021 had wider tolerances. Anything over 5mm variance suggests accident repair. We measure with a gap gauge.

7. Glass roof seal

Wet-test inside the headliner above the rear seats. Leaks are usually a $300 reseal, but caught early.

8. 12V battery age (lead-acid models)

Pre-LFP cars have a 12V lead-acid that fails around year 3 and bricks the car. Easy $250 fix but a non-negotiable check.

9. FSD/Autopilot configuration

FSD is software-locked to the original buyer's Tesla account in most cases. If you're paying extra for FSD, get Tesla to confirm in writing it transfers — sometimes it does, often it doesn't.

10. Connector wear (Type 2 + CCS2)

Inspect the charge port pins for arcing and the latch motor. $400 to replace and a faulty port means you can't charge.

11. Tyre condition and brand

Teslas eat tyres. Verify they're EV-rated (HL load index). Cheap non-rated tyres wear out in 18,000 km and ruin range.

12. Outstanding recalls

Tesla recalls in Australia: rear-view camera (2023), seatbelt anchor (2024), accelerator pedal pad (2024). Tesla service confirms in 1 phone call — never skip this.

Common questions

Does Tesla still honour the 8-year battery warranty for second owners?

Yes. The battery and drive unit warranty transfers with the vehicle. Get the original VIN warranty start date from a Tesla Service Centre.

How do I confirm FSD?

Ask the seller for a screenshot of the Tesla app showing 'Full Self-Driving Capability' under Upgrades, AND call Tesla Australia on 1800 646 952 with the VIN.