Keeping your tires in top condition is one of the few things you have to do when you own a Tesla.
Gone are the days of huge annual bills for oil changes, belt failures, and getting ripped off by your local mechanic for things you never needed!
Rotating your tires on a Tesla is actually quite simple and can be relatively cheap, but you should inform yourself all about it before you start.
Why? Because there are a few tricks and tips worth knowing to keep your Tesla and your tires in the best condition possible.
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How Often Should Your Rotate Your Tires On A Tesla?
The official stance from Tesla is that you should rotate your tires every 6250 miles (10,000 km) or if they start to show any significant wear. This is defined as if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first.
That also means that you can choose not to rotate your tires that often, as Elon Musk himself has stated:
Get A Tire Tread Depth Gauge
It is worthwhile to have your own Tire Tread Depth Gauge if you want to check your own tire wear and determine if you really need to rotate your tires. They are very cheap and worth keeping in your toolbox!
There is often way more wear on the driving tires, especially with Tesla’s regenerative braking. And if any of the cambers are off, especially on the front, you can even get inside tire wear that is worth keeping an eye on.
Careful How You Lift A Tesla
BE AWARE THAT ALL TESLAS HAVE SPECIAL LIFT POINTS AND METHODS!
Read the Manual Lifting Your Tesla & Make Sure The Mechanic Knows!
Tesla’s have very specific lift points that require a Tesla size/shape jack pad pucks in order to lift them correctly.
It is worth having a set in your car, not only for your use in potentially changing a tire, but also for those working on your car who maybe don’t know about it.
You should also check out the manual and show it to any mechanic who is not familiar with Tesla vehicles.
What Does A Tesla Tire Rotation Cost?
Tire rotation costs vary a lot depending on where you live and who does it for you.
Some Tesla owners online have stated that if you use the Tesla Mobile Service it can cost as little as $50. That seems to be the cheapest they do.
Tesla Service Centers might charge you more, with some additional checks thrown in!
If you want to go super budget, then you can get your tires rotated at Cosco or Discount Tire for even less. I have seen some lifetime rotation deals at Discount Tire for $165, and one-time tire rotations at Costco for around $22.
What Is The Tesla Tire Rotation Pattern?
Ensuring your rotation your tires the right way is the key to good tire rotation. So, which tire goes where when you do this on a Tesla?
First, you need to know what kind of tires you have on your Tesla.
Standard Tesla Tires
Factory tires you get with your Tesla should not be unidirectional. However, it usually pays to check (see the next section below).
So, if you don’t have uni-directional tires you can do the standard rear-wheel drive / all-wheel drive rotation like this:
- Front wheel cross (Front left to back right, front right to back left)
- Rear wheel straight (Back left to front left, back right to front right)
I know that can sound confusing, so just look at the diagram below.
Unidirectional Tires
Some specialised tires are only meant to roll in one direction. These are called unidirectional tires.
Given this, you can only rotate them front to back and back to front, keeping them on the same side of the vehicle. This is because if you crossed them, they would be facing/rolling in the wrong direction!
