Best tires for the Tesla Model 3
Top picks across four categories for the Tesla Model 3, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/45R18. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
UTQG 800 with a 80,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Tesla Model 3 owners.
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
UTQG 820 with a 85,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Tesla Model 3 owners.
Michelin
CrossClimate 2
UTQG 640 with a 60,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Tesla Model 3 owners.
Michelin
Defender 2
UTQG 800 with a 80,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Tesla Model 3 owners.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
820 UTQG with a 85,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
800 UTQG with a 80,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Cooper
CS5 ultra touring
800 UTQG with a 80,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Hankook
Kinergy PT
800 UTQG with a 90,000-mile warranty works out to roughly 0.00¢ per 100 miles before install. Best price-per-mile in this size; no premium-brand markup.
Lowest cabin noise
Best quiet
Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Michelin
Defender 2
68 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Pirelli
Cinturato P7 all season plus 3
69 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Michelin
Pilot sport all season 4
69 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; library-quiet. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Cold-weather grip
Best winter
Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter tire compound; stays pliable below 7 °C where summer/all-season rubber hardens. Recommended for Tesla Model 3 drivers in cold or snowy regions.
Michelin
X-Ice snow
Dedicated winter tire compound; stays pliable below 7 °C where summer/all-season rubber hardens. Recommended for Tesla Model 3 drivers in cold or snowy regions.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack | Best budget Goodyear Assurance MaxLife | Best winter Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | 800 | 820 | - |
| Mileage warranty | 80,000 mi | 85,000 mi | - |
| Cabin noise | 68 dB | 70 dB | 71 dB |
| Season class | all-season | all-season | winter |
| Type | touring | touring | passenger |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the tesla model 3 use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–2019 | 235/35R20 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2020–2024 | 235/45R18 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2025 | 235/35R20 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2026 | 235/45R18 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the tesla model 3
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/45R18; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for tesla model 3
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (17) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 2018 – 2025 (7 years)
What owners described
Sidewall failure appears in 36% of these reports; about 2.4× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 11 reports covering every model year of the Tesla Model 3 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidewall failure | 36% | 15% | 2.4× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 27% | 20% | 1.4× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 9% | 6% | 1.5× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 9% | 9% | 1.0× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 9% | 2% | 3.8× |
Mileage at failure
5 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 5,400 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 3,000 and 16,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Tesla Model 3. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I HAVE A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 WITH PREMIUM WHEEL UPGRADE AND THE CONTINENTAL PRO CONTACT RX TIRES PUT ON BY TESLA ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THE CAR HAS 7K SOME MILES ON IT AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT RANDOMLY. THERE WAS NO IMPACT/CRASH OF ANY KIND, WE WERE GOING APPROX 30 MILES PER HOUR ON A PAVED ROAD AND HEARD A LARGE BOOM. THEN ALMOST INSTANTLY OUR TPMS INDICATED EXTREMELY LOW TIRE PRESSURE PULL OVER NOW. WE HAD A BLOW OUT WITH THESE BASICALLY BRAND NEW TIRES, NO OTHER DAMAGE TO CAR SO THAT'S IT. COULD KILL SOMEONE IN THE WRONG CIRCUMSTANCE!
In November both rear tires shredded, while driving. The metal belts became exposed. Tesla replaced the tires, claimed there was no other problem. The tires had been appropriately pressurized during the entire life of the tires. Mileage 9800. Two months later one of the rear tires (new tire) sustained a nail in the side wall- non-repairable (the sidewall on a new tire should not be on the pavement, but the side), and now at 3000 miles on the new tire not replaced due to the nail- the tire is beginning to shred again. This is coupled with inordinate road noise since the tires were changed. I think the problem is the car being inadequately made, and the tires, that seem to be exposing the weak sidewall to the pavement. Neither company claims credit for their handiwork.
Pirelli PZero 235/35/R20 tires on the entire car, was driving when front left tire blew out after 4500 miles, had the car towed back to Tesla dealer and tire replaced. Now after 2 months, rear left tire has bubble on the sidewall after only 5400 miles with no indication of previous damage. I believe this to be a defective tire and an immense safety hazard.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire line: P Zero, Tire Size: 235/35/R20, DOT Number: (Not available). The contact stated while driving 65 MPH an hour after purchasing the vehicle brand new, the rear passenger's side tire experienced a blowout, and the rim was severely damaged. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center, where the rear passenger's side wheel and tire were replaced; however, the rear driver's side tire experienced a blowout a week later. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Service Center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged for the repair. The tire was not replaced. The tire and vehicle failure mileage was approximately 80.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Tesla Model 3 →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Tesla Model 3?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Tesla Model 3?
Does the Tesla Model 3 need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Tesla Model 3?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.