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5 Mistakes Tesla Owners Make That Could Cost Them

May 28, 2025

4 min Read

Written by David Nadelle

Edited by Rebekah Evans

©Tesla

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The first quarter of 2025 was kind to most electric vehicle manufacturers, unless your name was Tesla. Some other brands faltered, but the EV industry’s biggest player saw its stock dip 44% — according to CNBC — from the previous year prior to announcing its lower-than expected Q1 earnings on April 22.

In Lauren Bennett’s essay for Business Insider, the author talks of the ups and (mainly) downs that come with owning a car that is heavily tech-driven. While Bennett’s misgivings are of the nagging tech variety, there are mistakes Tesla owners make that drive up irritating operating costs.

Here are five things you need to avoid as a Tesla owner.

Poor Battery Charging Practices

The battery in your Tesla should last you over 200,000 miles, but it’s the one vital part that will cost you almost as much to replace as you paid for the entire car. Taking precautions when charging will keep your battery fresher, longer.

For most models, consistently charging to 100% can degrade the battery over time. Tesla recommends an 80% charge unless you’re planning a long trip. Additionally, letting the car sit for long periods of time at under 20% and using DC fast charging/Supercharging, all the time will wear on the battery as well.

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Not Setting the Trunk Height

Thanks to the informative Vegas Tesla Family channel on YouTube, setting your trunk height could save you from costly mid-trunk scrapes. Why? “Telsa trunks have a very large openings, which is great until you park in your garage and your trunk opens all the way and hits the top of your garage and leaves a small, little dent or scratch right on the back,” the video’s host explained.

Setting your trunk’s height is simple, but having to get expensive bodywork done for such an annoying reason will be difficult to justify.

Not Setting Sentry Mode

Technology can be a great selling point in new cars, but many digital functions go underused. Tesla’s Sentry Mode feature can drain your battery and cost you hundreds of dollars a year if kept on all the time.

However, ignoring its use could cost you a great deal of stress and money, as it’s designed to deter potential security threats and can provide evidence in cases of accidents, break-ins or theft. When Sentry Mode is activated, its cameras and sensors stay powered on and prepared to capture any suspicious behavior or danger around your car.

Purchasing Full Self-Driving

In true Tesla style, Musk has predicted unrealistic due dates for Full Self-Driving (FSD) cars without the need for a human behind the wheel for years. Every Telsa comes equipped with the Autopilot safety feature, which includes Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer, which is more than enough for the average American Tesla driver.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system isn’t autonomous in any way and paying $8,000 for some helpful driving prompts is full self-delusional.

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Improper Car Washing

According to ID Protection, here are concerns about Tesla using a thinner single-stage paint system and softer water-based paint, which can result in an exterior coat that can deteriorate easier due to tree sap or bird droppings, sun exposure or chips and scratches from everyday driving debris or improper washing techniques.

Tesla recommends hand-washing or using a touchless car wash to minimize the chance of paint damage. If you can afford it, protecting your Tesla with paint protection film (PPF), vinyl wrap or ceramic coating will give you piece of mind. Always keep your car out of direct sunlight, clean and wax it regularly and park inside if possible.

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