A Tesla technical inspection is in principle no different from that of any other car, but Finnish statistics show that four-year-old Teslas fail their first inspection far more often than other cars. The main reason is worn bushings and joints in the rear suspension arms, followed by brakes and lights. If these are checked and fixed before the inspection, there is a good chance of passing first time.
We look at what the Finnish Traficom data shows, how inspection works in Estonia and Finland, which defects are most often found on Teslas and what to check beforehand. A Tesla technical inspection is mandatory; failing it is not.
What the Finnish inspection statistics show
Finland’s Transport and Communications Agency Traficom publishes inspection results every year. In 2025 Finland carried out 2.18 million periodic inspections of passenger cars. Of four-year-old electric cars, 19.6 % failed, against 5.4 % of petrol cars and 10.8 % of diesel cars of the same age. According to Traficom, the most common reasons were play in the rear axle trailing arm bearing or upper control arm joint and play in the front lower control arm ball joint.
Teslas did even worse. Tekniikan Maailma reported, based on Traficom data, that in 2025 62.7 % of 2021 Model Y cars and nearly 60 % of 2021 Model 3 cars failed. More than 80 % of those failures concerned the rear axle, usually the upper control arm bushing of the rear wheel. Leaving out those 4,193 four-year-old Model 3 and Model Y cars, the other electric cars had a first-inspection failure rate of only 6.9 %.
Traficom explains the gap with maintenance. A combustion car is serviced by mileage and time, and worn parts are found during servicing. An electric car’s service interval is often time-based only, or there is none at all, so suspension defects tend to surface only when the Tesla technical inspection is due. Tesla has no mandatory scheduled service, only recommended intervals.
Inspection in Estonia and katsastus in Finland
In Estonia, according to Transpordiamet, a passenger car must have its first inspection 48 months after first registration, then every 24 months, and every year once it is over ten years old. If you bring the car in within two months before the due date, the inspection counts as done on time. A repeat inspection must be done at the same inspection station.
Finland follows the same rhythm: the first katsastus no later than four years after the car entered service, then every two years, and annually after ten years. A Finnish-registered car is inspected in Finland. In both countries the first Tesla technical inspection falls roughly when Tesla’s basic vehicle warranty (4 years or 80,000 km) runs out.
Tesla technical inspection: the most common defects
Rear control arms and bushings
The rear axle of Model 3 and Model Y has several control arms whose bushings and joints wear with mileage. A heavy car and salted roads speed this up. The inspector finds the play on a play detector; the owner often hears it as a knock over bumps. We replace worn arms or bushings with original Tesla parts and then check the wheel alignment. Read more in our article on Tesla suspension repair.
Brakes
Regenerative braking spares the brakes, but rarely used discs rust and calipers stick. On the roller brake tester this shows up as uneven braking force between the wheels of one axle. Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating the calipers every year or every 20,000 km where roads are salted. See our article on Tesla brakes.
Lights
According to Traficom, the licence plate light and dipped beams drew the most repair notices across all cars. Before a Tesla technical inspection, check the headlight aim, moisture inside the lamps and the licence plate light. Model 3 and Model Y use LED lights, and a fault can mean replacing the whole lamp unit, so it pays to find it early and order the part in good time.
Tyres, glass and warning lights
A Tesla technical inspection also covers tread depth, windscreen damage in the driver’s field of view, wipers and seat belts. In Finland’s 2023 data, non-compliant window tinting was also among the common defects on four-year-old electric cars. A lit ABS, airbag or stability control warning light counts as a defect too.
How to pass a Tesla technical inspection first time
We recommend a check a couple of weeks before the inspection, so there is time to order parts. When a Tesla technical inspection is coming up, our pre-inspection check goes like this:
- we read the fault codes with Toolbox 3 and check the warning lights
- we check the rear and front control arms, bushings, ball joints and wheel bearings on a lift
- we inspect the brake discs, pads and calipers, then clean and lubricate the calipers
- we check the lights, their aim and the licence plate light
- we check the tyres, windscreen and wipers
- after suspension work we set the wheel angles on a 3D alignment rig
According to our price list, Tesla repair work starts from €80, reading and clearing fault codes from €150, brake pad and disc replacement from €80 and 3D wheel alignment from €100. Prices do not include VAT. More on our Tesla repair page.
For Finnish owners: a check in Tallinn before katsastus
Finnish owners can have the car checked and repaired in Tallinn before the katsastus. The ferry takes you from Helsinki to Tallinn, and our workshop in Peetri is about five minutes from the airport. The katsastus itself is then done in Finland. If needed, we arrange door-to-door transport of the car to the workshop.
If the car has already failed katsastus, it must go to a re-inspection within one month, otherwise a completely new inspection is required. So book the repair right after the inspection and bring the inspection report that lists the defects. That way we know in advance which parts are needed.
Frequently asked questions
How often is a Tesla technical inspection required?
In Estonia a passenger car has its first inspection 48 months after first registration, then every two years, and every year from ten years of age. In Finland the intervals are the same: four years, then two years, and annually after ten years. A Tesla technical inspection is no different from other cars in this respect.
Why do Model 3 and Model Y fail inspection?
According to Finnish data, the cause is mostly in the rear axle: the upper control arm bushing and joints of the rear wheel wear and develop play. Because Tesla has no mandatory scheduled service, the wear often goes unnoticed until the inspection. A suspension check before the inspection finds it.
Is suspension repair covered by Tesla’s warranty?
Tesla’s basic vehicle warranty in Europe runs for 4 years or 80,000 km, whichever comes first. If your car is still under warranty, contact Tesla first. After the warranty ends, worn arms and bushings can also be replaced at an independent workshop such as ours.
Does ServiceMode carry out the official inspection?
No. The official inspection is done by an inspection station in Estonia and a katsastus station in Finland. We do the pre-inspection check and the necessary repairs so that the Tesla technical inspection passes first time. If the car has already been sent for a repeat inspection, bring the report with you.
Before your next Tesla technical inspection, book a check on +372 5851 0695 or at info@servicemode.ee. We are at Tähnase 1 in Peetri and open Monday to Friday 9:00–18:00. All contact details are on our contact page.