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Tesla Model S Drive Unit Replacement by the Numbers
During my early days of researching the Tesla Model S, I had concerns about a number of things that were emerging in the press. Fires, Model S drive unit issues, and handling in the snow. Tesla quickly addressed the “firegate” issue by retrofitting the Model S with a titanium shield. My concerns around winter driving, in particular handling in the snow, also became a non-issue after watching several winter driving videos put together by Bjørn Nyland.
Within no time, I became a new Model S owner and quickly learned that driving in the winter could actually be quite fun with a good set of winter tires. Tesla later introduced the all-wheel drive “D” models putting to rest any remaining doubt that the Model S could be the best and safest handling car in the world.
But one question still remains for me, Has Tesla dealt with the Drive Unit issues?
Model S Drive Unit Replacement by the Numbers
There is a group of Model S owners across the forums, but also validated by major publications such as Edmunds, that have had one or more drive unit replacements.
Early reports of drive unit issues ranged from total failures that left the Model S inoperable, to more recent complaints of clunking and milling noises. Elon has said in the past that many of these pre-emptive drive unit replacements were unnecessary and a simple $0.50 shim was all that was really needed, yet Tesla Service centers have been proactively replacing drive units.
The following polls from TMC show that a majority of Model S owners have had their drive units replaced.
While the poll only represents a small sample of Model S owners, one might draw significance in the numbers as the density circles around owners needing a drive unit replacement at relatively low mileage, and without any harsh driving prior to failure.
The polls also give insight to the motive behind each drive unit replacement.
Though it appears the issues mainly center around earlier versions of the Model S, there’s been reports of newer Model S with Autopilot hardware hearing milling noises coming from the drive unit. One viewer described the sound as “sawing wood”.
Tesla’s Response to Drive Unit Issues
In typical Tesla fashion, the company acted fast to address the issues, and curb concerns by offering an unlimited mile/8 year warranty on the drive unit. I think this was a great response by Tesla which put to rest any concerns about the quality and long term durability of their drive units.
Elon is now talking about building a power train that will last a million miles and I believe Tesla continues to put significant energy into improving the drive units. Tesla continues to honor the warranty and is proactively replacing drive units that show early signs of problems.
My Experience
After 12 months of Model S ownership and 30k miles drive, I started hearing a humming noise from the rear of my Model S during highway cruising. The noise was unusual as I had gotten used to hearing only the noise of the tires and wind, but there was a new noise only noticeable when cruising or decelerating with regeneration at 65 MPH and over. The noise continued to become more audible over the next few months, but I learned to live with it and did not contact Tesla. My personal rule of thumb on noise related issues is to wait for passengers to comment on it first. It’s my self crazy check.
Two months after the original drive unit humming noises began, a higher pitched milling type noise started occuring when traveling at speeds of 20 MPH or less. The sound varied depending on how much power was being used. That’s when I reached out to Tesla.
Tesla service record
Tesla service had me come in for a test drive which they can do on demand without you needing to wait. We drove about a block before the Tesla service technician said the drive unit needed to be replaced.
The explanation was that tolerances inside the drive unit have led to metal particles getting into the fluid around the drive unit, and as the concentration of particles increased, it caused the noise from the drive unit to become louder when under load. The new drive units evidently have better tolerances and are less prone to having metal particles being shaved off.
At that time, Tesla service has been very backed up here in Massachusetts so my appointment for the drive unit replacement was scheduled six weeks out. I put on another 4,000 miles during that wait time, with an increasingly louder drive unit, before it was finally replaced.
When Tesla replaces a drive unit, they replace both the drive unit and inverter as you can see from a copy of the parts list. The last letter in the drive unit part number (“M” in my case) seems to indicate the generation of the drive unit. The later the letter the better, with the “Q”s seeming to have the best longevity according to the forums.
I’m happy to say that I’ve logged 8,000 miles of happy and noise-free driving after my drive unit replacement. The replacement was done recently so my guess is that I have a newer unit, and thus hope this will be my only replacement.
Thankfully for all of us, Tesla has a first class warranty and level of service. While it goes without saying that inconveniences such as this may happen, rest assured that Tesla has you covered and will always strive to make things right.
Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.
Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.
However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.
The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.
Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:
20+ Cybercabs spotted near Miami international airport. pic.twitter.com/ORLsw8yFhf
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.
Cybercab at the Devon location in PA has multiplied over the weekend. Seeing a few more test vehicles in the lot 👀 pic.twitter.com/DhJT4P1EkU
— Billy (@billykyle) August 22, 2026
Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.
Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.
Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.
The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 2, 2026
The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.
However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.
No steering wheel, no pedals
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) September 2, 2026
Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.
Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China
