Skip to main content

Owning a 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD For 18 Months: Range Loss, Repairs, Fuel Cost, and More!

I've owned my 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD for 18 months. Here's how much range it has lost, what repairs I've had to do, and how much I've spent on fuel!
Owning a 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD For 18 Months: Range Loss, Repairs, Fuel Cost, and More!

2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD - 18 Months Later

I've owned my 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD for 18 months, and I am going to give my full review now.

First off, the car has been incredible. It's like a spaceship and a significant upgrade from my Honda Fit that I had before it.

How does a 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD handle?

The car drives and handles superbly - even being the cheapest and least fast Tesla vehicle - it is still incredibly quick and performant by most vehicles standards on the road today.

I can zip away and accelerate incredibly quickly still.

What about the paint on the car - is it still holding up?

The paint has been solid and has had no issues, minus a few minor dings from rocks on the front of the hood. All of this was simple to repair with Tesla's paint repair kit that you can buy for the color paint of your car from Tesla's accessory shop online.

The car still looks completely brand new after 18 months.

What about the tires on the car - have the original stock tires lasted?

The original tires on the car have lasted - even with me doing quite a bit of fast accelerating during the first couple months of ownership.

These Michelin tires should last me about 20,000 miles, so about 6,500 more to go, and then I will change them and likely go with the Michelin Cross Climate 2 - unless somehow there's a better tire available.

What about the frame of the car, has it had any issues?

The frame of the car has had no issues - and I anticipate it holding up well beyond anything else in the car - even the battery.

You May Also Like: I love my Tesla Model 3 RWD, except this one thing

Has there been any creeks or odd sounds coming from the car?

Occasionally, there will be a rattle or creek in the car, but it's not very often and seems to coincide with big temperature changes. One time, I had a Tesla service rep drive with me to see if I could replicate it, and the car was completely silent.

Because it's so infrequent, I've learned to just live with it when it happens, and it doesn't bother me.

Is the car comfortable?

The car is very comfortable to both sit in to drive and for any passengers or those in the back seat.

What about repairs - has the car needed any repairs?

The car needed a driver seat repair where the seat separated from the base in the first 3 months. Tesla did that free of charge with mobile service. Under warranty, I've got a number of years that Tesla will fix issues like this that aren't my fault.

The windshield was also replaced for a pricey $1,400 last year, due to a big rock on the freeway hitting it. Tesla fixed this at their Salt Lake City service center in 2 hours - it was quick and very convenient.

Other than this, there has been no repairs needed.

What about maintenance - how much has that cost?

Maintenance has cost about $20 total to buy some washer fluid and put it in the car when it needs it, about every 4 to 6 months, depending on how much I'm using it.

What about charging - isn't charging more expensive in an EV?

Charging has cost me very little. I've used the Draper, Utah Tesla Supercharger maybe 5 times since I've owned the car and paid about $15 each time to charge it about 80% of the battery. So $75 for the life of the vehicle.

You might wonder how I'm not paying for fuel for the car. After all, I've driven it numerous miles. It's because I get free charging nearby in multiple locations.

What about driving - how far have you driven and how efficient is the car?

I have driven my 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD 13,799 miles.

It has used a lifetime of 2,978 kWh.

It has an efficiency of 216 Wh/mi. This is pretty darn efficient for any EV. This average efficiency will get better as the weather gets warmer here in Utah, and will likely go down to 210 to 212 Wh/mi as I drive in the warm spring and summer weather.

But what about range loss - how much range has the vehicle lost?

My vehicle currently displays 259 miles of range when it charges to 100%. This is down from the 272 miles of range that it started with. In the first month, the range went from 272 to 267. Then, after the first year, it went to 262 miles of range, to 259 where it is today. It's quite possible that it has leveled off at about 6 miles of range of degradation per year. However, I will have to see how this goes in the future.

All in all, it's not bad - about 5% battery degradation in 18 months. I'm happy with that. Supposedly I can expect 10% to 15% battery degradation over the life of the vehicle.

For Further Reading: Road trip in a Tesla Model 3 RWD with LFP batteries

I give this car a 9.5 out of 10 stars. It's been a truly incredible car!

What do you think about this review of my 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD? Would you get one of these cars?

Must Read Picks:

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn!. Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit & Article Reference: ME!

Auto Sector Stocks
Automotive News
Electric Vehicle News and Reviews
Tesla
Tesla Model 3