What Does Tesla’s Extended Warranty Cover? Exclusions and Deductible

Tesla’s Extended Service Agreement covers the repair or replacement of most Tesla-manufactured parts on Model S, 3, X, and Y vehicles after the factory Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty runs out, as long as the failure is caused by a defect in materials or workmanship.¹ It is written as an exclusionary warranty, meaning everything Tesla built into the car is presumed covered unless it appears on the exclusion list. The catch that surprises most owners: the high-voltage battery and drive unit are not on the ESA at all, because they carry their own longer factory warranty.

What the ESA Covers

Because the plan is exclusionary, there is no tidy checklist of covered parts. In practice, the ESA is what owners rely on for failures in the HVAC system (including the heat pump), the power conversion system, steering and suspension components, electrical modules, the touchscreen and media control unit, door mechanisms, and other mechanical and electrical systems Tesla manufactured.²

Owner discussions repeatedly point to the heat pump, power conversion system, and touchscreen as the parts most often cited as reasons to carry an ESA, since any one of them can cost thousands of dollars to replace out of pocket.³

What the ESA Does Not Cover

The exclusion list is long, and reading it carefully matters more than reading the coverage description.

Battery, Drive Unit, and 12-Volt Battery

The high-voltage battery pack and the drive unit, meaning the electric motors, gearbox, and inverter, are explicitly excluded.² The 12-volt (or 16-volt) auxiliary battery is also excluded.⁴

Wear-and-Tear and Maintenance Items

Parts expected to degrade with use are not covered. That includes brake pads and rotors, tires, wheels, wiper blades, cabin air filters, fluid changes, and suspension alignment and wheel balancing.² Shock absorbers are listed as excluded as well.⁵

Body, Cosmetic, and Environmental Damage

Bodywork, paint, glass (including windshields), interior trim, upholstery, carpet, and exterior ornamentation are excluded. So is damage from hail, flooding, road salt, tree sap, or sun exposure, along with stone chips, scratches, and corrosion.²

Charging Equipment

The Mobile Connector, Wall Connector, and charging adapters are not covered under the ESA.²

Misuse, Modifications, and Outside Repairs

Coverage is voided by accidents, racing, off-road driving, commercial use such as delivery or ride-hailing, or towing with a Model S. Modifications, non-Tesla parts, or repairs done outside a Tesla Authorized Service Center can also disqualify a claim, and so can refusing a software update or tampering with vehicle systems.²

Other Exclusions

The ESA will not pay for squeaks, rattles, water leaks, or wind noise adjustments. Vehicles with salvage, flood, or total-loss titles are ineligible. The plan does not reimburse rental cars, meals, lodging, or any other incidental or consequential costs.²¹

What the Factory Warranty Already Handles

The biggest ESA exclusion is not really a gap in coverage; it is a separate warranty running on a different clock. Every new Tesla comes with a Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty of 4 years or 50,000 miles for defects in materials or workmanship, and this is what the ESA extends.⁶ The battery and drive unit have their own 8-year warranty, with mileage limits between 100,000 miles on rear-wheel-drive Model 3 and Model Y and 150,000 miles on Model S and Model X, and every battery warranty guarantees at least 70 percent capacity retention through the coverage period.⁷ Airbags and seat belts are covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Cost, Deductible, and Eligibility

As of mid-2025, Tesla moved the ESA in the United States from a prepaid lump sum to a monthly subscription enrolled through the Tesla app under Upgrades > Service Plans > Extended Service Agreement. Payments start automatically once the 4-year/50,000-mile factory warranty expires and continue for up to four more years or until the odometer reaches 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.⁴

Monthly prices under the subscription:⁴

Model 3: $50
Model Y: $60
Model S: $125
Model X: $150

The deductible is $100 per service visit for covered repairs under the current subscription.⁴ Owners of Model S and Model X vehicles bought before March 23, 2023, under the older prepaid ESA may still have a $200 deductible.⁸

To enroll, the vehicle must still be within its factory warranty and cannot be leased.⁴ Tesla has indicated it plans to open the ESA to end-of-lease purchasers by the end of 2025. The Cybertruck is not yet eligible.¹

Service Requirements and Roadside Assistance

All ESA repairs must be performed at a Tesla Authorized Service Center or by Tesla Mobile Service. Tesla will not reimburse work done at a third-party shop. To file a claim, you contact or visit a Tesla Service Center with the vehicle’s mileage and the date the failure occurred, and you let Tesla inspect the car. Tesla can request proof that recommended maintenance has been performed, and skipping maintenance can result in a denied claim.²¹

Roadside assistance is bundled with an active ESA, though Tesla’s agreement notes it is technically a separate service. If a covered malfunction leaves the car undrivable, Tesla will tow it up to 500 miles to the nearest Tesla Service Center. For flat tires, which are not a covered repair, Tesla will still tow up to 50 miles at no charge. Costs beyond those distances, replacement tires, and any additional transportation from the service center are your responsibility. The service runs 24/7 but only within North America.²

The Separate Battery and Drive Unit ESA

For owners who want coverage on the parts the standard ESA leaves out, Tesla now sells a separate Battery and Drive Unit Extended Service Agreement for Model 3 and Model Y. It is a one-time purchase of about $2,000 in the United States (roughly C$2,800 in Canada) that adds 24 months or 30,000 miles beyond the factory battery warranty, whichever comes first. The deductible is $500 per qualifying repair visit, and the plan covers mechanical failure of the high-voltage battery pack and drive unit. It does not cover gradual range degradation. It must be purchased before the factory battery warranty expires, is only available for non-leased vehicles without salvage or total-loss titles, and is transferable to a subsequent owner.⁹

Transferring or Canceling Coverage

The ESA can transfer to a new owner if the vehicle is sold during the agreement, provided the original owner has not already canceled coverage, the buyer is an individual rather than a dealer, all required maintenance has been completed, and Tesla inspects the vehicle. You can cancel through the Tesla app before coverage takes effect. Once coverage is active, cancellation requires a written request or a completed cancellation form submitted to a Tesla Service Center, and a prorated refund may be issued.¹⁰ Under the monthly subscription, once a subscription is canceled it cannot be reinstated.⁸

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