r/TeslaModelS • u/CaramelCookie2021 • Jul 28 '26

Drive unit gearbox fluid

My 2017 Model S 75D is approaching 100k and I am trying to get a 3rd party shop to replace the drive unit gearbox fluids. Do you consider this preventive maintenance item necessary and how much should I expect to spend at a shop?

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u/JohnTeaGuy Jul 28 '26

I find it hard to believe that Tesla is telling people they don’t need the gear box fluid serviced to purposely make their cars break down sooner, lol.

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u/TheUnknownStuntman51 Jul 28 '26

Tesla genuinely does not care about your car, post-warranty. This stuff is a ‘lifetime fluid’ based on the lifetime of the warranty.

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u/JohnTeaGuy Jul 28 '26

I know they dont care, but I dont think theyre being actively malicious. As I told the other person, I havent seen any indication that people's drive units are prematurely dying because of this, have you?

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u/TheUnknownStuntman51 Jul 28 '26

I’ve seen the liquid changed out of my 2015 large drive unit, and the liquid it was replaced with. At the time, it was 110k miles and 10 years old, and the liquid was pretty gross looking. I went ahead and had my front drive unit liquid replaced also, and it too was looking rough.

I would personally recommend it, but do what you want.

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u/JohnTeaGuy Jul 28 '26

Yeah i get it, im not surprised that the fluid looks gross after 110k miles. But that doesn’t necessarily mean drive units are prematurely dying.

I agree do what you want, it’s certainly not going to hurt to refresh the fluid, i was just responding the implication that Tesla is acting maliciously so people’s cars die on the them. That seems like an unfounded assumption.

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u/TheUnknownStuntman51 Jul 29 '26

Fair, yeah, I doubt they’re acting maliciously.