Do Teslas Need Tire Alignment & Balancing? (Explained)

A lot of drivers are confused about when to get an alignment done on their Tesla tires.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about it.

Do Tesla wheels need to be aligned?

The alignment of wheels on a brand new Tesla is accurate and you do not need to have it checked unless the vehicle has been driven 13,000 miles or the steering wheel is at least 10 degrees off the center. Teslas tires should be aligned when changed or rotated.

In multiple online forums, a few users showed concerns regarding the factory alignment by Tesla and service stations telling them the vehicle’s wheels need alignment. If there are no clear indicators of a misalignment issue in your new Tesla, there’s no reason to get the tires aligned.

However, the reason the vehicle’s tires might appear misaligned could be a difference in the tire pressures.

To check your vehicle’s alignment, observe where the vehicle is pulling in a specific direction during the drive.

For instance, if the vehicle pulls in the right direction during the drive, you have to readjust the toe at each wheel’s axle using toe plates; toe out the right rear plate and toe in the left.

What about balancing?

All Tesla consumers are recommended by the automaker to get their vehicle’s tires balanced after every 12,000 covered on road.

The tires installed on Tesla vehicles are very different from the tires present on conventional gas vehicles because of the difference in handling weight.

Electric vehicle tires such as the ones found on a Tesla can handle more weight than the ones installed on gas-powered vehicles. The lifespan of the tires on a Tesla depends upon how well they are maintained and the make and model of the vehicle.

Tesla tires have a warranty of 26,000 miles which is why they recommend tire maintenance after every 10-12 thousand miles.

All Tesla vehicles contain different types of tires regulated according to the weight and range of the vehicle so the maintenance and repairs costs depend largely on the model of Tesla you’re dealing with.

Something else you can do for a smoother ride is to install Tesla’s special aero caps.

How often does a Tesla need an alignment?

Although Tesla recommends an alignment or a wheel balancing every 12,000 miles, experts say that the wheels of a Tesla must get an alignment per 6,000 and should not exceed the 10,000-mile limit without tire inspection and repair to ensure smooth driving.

Get the tire alignment check every time you have them rotated to avoid any driving issues.

One thing most Tesla owners fail to do is get the tires aligned when they have them replaced which results in multiple issues including damage to the vehicle.

If the tires on your Tesla are not aligned when you have them replaced, they won’t wear out evenly. Further, the repair costs would be higher for an improperly aligned Tesla than they would be on a Tesla with accurate alignment.

There’s a way you can tell whether or not the Tesla vehicle needs an alignment.

If when you apply the brakes, the vehicle drifts in a particular direction, there is a problem with the alignment of the wheels.

To prevent any premature tire failure or traction loss, get the wheels aligned at a proper time. In addition, poor road structure and rough surfaces can also mess with the Tesla wheel alignment.

If you live in an area with poorly constructed roads, you might need tire maintenance more often.

How to know when it’s time for alignment and balancing tires?

Here are a few ways to tell if the wheels of your Tesla need balancing or alignment.

• If there’s a vibration or a “swish” sound from one or more wheels of the vehicle during driving.
• If the steering wheel feels a bit off the center especially when all wheels of the vehicle are pointed straight.
• The vehicle’s suspension is creating irregular sounds.
• If there’s uneven wear on the tires.
• If the tires wear out quickly even after replacement.
• As mentioned above, the vehicle pulls or drifts into a specific direction either left or right when braking.
• Sometimes when a user gets their Tesla lowered, it can cause misalignment. That is because the suspension parts differ in size which disrupts their function.
• Misalignment often results in multiple auto repairs. If you are making more visits to the vehicle service station than usual, it can be an indicator that the alignment or balancing is off.
• Wheels must get balanced and alignment per replacement.
• If the vehicle is unstable even after the tires are inflated to the factory-recommended level.

Should you have the tires aligned and balanced when changing tires?

Every automaker including Tesla recommends users to have their vehicles aligned after a tire change. If the vehicle does not get an alignment, the tread lifespan of the tires will be affected.

If the vehicle tires do not get accurate road contact, they may suffer from premature damage, making the Tesla unsafe to drive. Moreover, when you drive a Tesla with misalignment at high speed, there will be difficulty in steering, putting you and the other road users at risk.

When Tesla users do not get an alignment when they get the vehicle’s tires changed, it results in damage to the suspension parts and ultimately more costly repairs.

For instance, if you get a different size of tires than the ones installed on the Tesla before, it’s essential to get an alignment for the bigger tires. Ensure that you take the vehicle to a qualified technician for the alignment.

How much does tesla charge for alignment and balancing?

According to recent research, Tesla costs around $35 to $100 for tire alignment, balancing, and rotation. However, the prices may differ per model as all Tesla electric vehicles have different kinds of tires depending upon the range they offer and the weight carried by the vehicle.

Tesla has a lower maintenance cost as compared to gas-powered vehicles due to the small number of parts that need maintenance.

Do tesla tires need to be rotated?

Tesla produces performance vehicles that need a low cost but regular maintenance after a few thousand miles and tire rotation is one of them. For a Tesla to drive smoothly, the user must get the tires rotated every 6,000 miles.

Tire rotation is also mandatory if the tread difference starts getting bigger.

The tires on a Tesla must be rotated after they reach the end of the timeline recommended by the automaker. Environment and weather conditions, such as driving in warmer climates may have you get your Tesla’s tires maintained more often.

How are tires on a Tesla different from regular tires?

Tesla vehicles typically have Michelin tires installed. Michelin is a French tire company that produces the best electric vehicle tires according to the range and capacity of the vehicle to handle excessive loads.

The tire selection for Tesla vehicles depends on the following factors.

• Tesla vehicles are high performance which means the tires would undergo excessive strain. Tesla does not manufacture its own tires but installs high-quality tires with the capacity of undergoing minimum strains at higher speeds.
• Tesla vehicles do not have higher rolling resistances unlike regular vehicles so they have tires with a greater grip and more resistance.
• Tesla vehicles have tires that do not create sound because the whole point of driving an electric vehicle is to minimize the noise pollution created by regular

Here’s a full list of how Tesla tires are different.