Tesla is a USA carmaker founded in 2003. The cars themselves are another matter: across 3 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United States 100%. 6 models are tracked here (2008–2026). Reliable? yes, on balance — 4.2 out of 5 across 6 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Tesla
Tesla, Inc. is an American electric-vehicle and clean-energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded as Tesla Motors in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, the company was joined as chairman by Elon Musk in 2004, who became CEO in 2008. Tesla designs, manufactures and sells battery-electric vehicles, energy-storage systems and solar products. The 2008 Roadster was the first highway-legal lithium-ion battery production car, and the 2012 Model S was the first all-electric vehicle to win Motor Trend Car of the Year. The Model Y crossover became the world's best-selling vehicle (any powertrain) in 2023 according to JATO Dynamics. Tesla operates four vehicle factories: Fremont (California), Austin (Texas), Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany) and Shanghai (China). Tesla trades on the NASDAQ under TSLA and has been a member of the S&P 500 since December 2020. The company's Supercharger network covers more than 50,000 stalls globally and was opened to non-Tesla EVs in late 2022. Recall data for every Tesla VIN is reported to NHTSA, and EPA range and efficiency ratings provide independent benchmarks. ForCar.org decodes any Tesla VIN against NHTSA's dataset to reveal trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Tesla Motors was incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who sought to build a fully electric sports car. Elon Musk led the Series A round in February 2004 with $6.5 million and joined as chairman. The 2008 Roadster, based on a Lotus Elise platform, demonstrated that lithium-ion batteries could deliver supercar-level performance. The 2012 Model S established Tesla as a profitable luxury brand, and the 2017 Model 3 carried the company into mass-market volumes.
| Item | Tesla |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founded by | Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning |
| Headquarters | Austin, USA |
| Listed as | TSLA |
| Slogan | «Accelerating the World's Transition to Sustainable Energy» |
| Models tracked here | 5 (2008–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: Autopilot driver assistance, Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta, Supercharger DC fast-charging network, 4680 structural battery cells, Octovalve heat pump.
This page covers Tesla, Inc., the American EV and energy company — not Nikola Tesla the inventor or Tesla coil devices named after him.
Where Tesla cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 6,291 vehicles on record, 3 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 5YJ, 7SA, 7G2 | 2008–2026 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Tesla beginning 5YJ was assembled in the United States.
All Tesla models 6
Every Tesla model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Tesla SUVs & crossovers 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 2020–2026 | 100 | 388 | 138 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Tesla Model X | 2016–2026 | 124 | — | 105 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Tesla Cars & sedans 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 2017–2026 | 142 | 4,207 | 142 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Tesla Model S | 2012–2026 | 164 | 1,064 | 124 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Tesla Trucks 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Cybertruck | 2024–2026 | 16 | 177 | 82 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Tesla More models 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Roadster | 2008–2012 | 2 | 2 | — | 4.5/5 |
Tesla by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Tesla | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 548 campaigns | Most recalled: Electrical System:adas:autonomous/self Driving:software |
| Owner complaints | 5,838+ filed | Most reported: Model 3 |
| Fuel economy | 142 mpg best | Leader: Model 3 |
| Crash safety | ★★★★★ top rated | 5 models tested by NHTSA |
| Insurance | $1,647/yr typical | Cheapest: Cybertruck |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Tesla hybrids & electric models
Tesla's electrified lineup — 5 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Tesla electric & plug-in 5
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 2020–2026 | 138 | 100 | 4.0/5 |
| Tesla Cybertruck | 2024–2026 | 82 | 16 | 4.0/5 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 2017–2026 | 142 | 142 | 4.0/5 |
| Tesla Model X | 2016–2026 | 105 | 124 | 4.5/5 |
| Tesla Model S | 2012–2026 | 124 | 164 | 4.0/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Tesla window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Tesla's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Tesla window stickers →How to read a Tesla VIN
Every Tesla built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Tesla and the country it was built in (real Tesla codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- USA5YJ · 7G2 · 7SA · SFZ
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Our VIN decoder breaks all seventeen positions down — year codes, country of assembly and the plant that built the car.
Who owns Tesla, and what you get
Tesla is independent, USA-owned and publicly listed as TSLA. Tesla competes as a vertically integrated electric-only automaker against legacy brands transitioning to EVs and against EV-native startups. The company's direct-to-consumer sales model bypasses the franchised dealer network used by every other major automaker in the United States. Tesla's software-update model — over-the-air feature delivery — is widely cited as the template that legacy brands have adopted with limited success.
| Item | Tesla |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Stock ticker | TSLA |
| Basic warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 8 years / 100,000–150,000 miles (battery & drive) |
| Assembly countries | United States |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 4 years / 50,000 miles. See when Tesla models actually start to break →
Tesla — frequently asked
Is Tesla usa?
Tesla is a USA company, headquartered in Austin and founded in 2003. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Tesla vehicles in our records were assembled in the United States.
Where are Tesla cars made?
Across 3 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Tesla?
Tesla is independent, publicly traded as TSLA.
How many Tesla models are there?
We track 6 Tesla models spanning 2008–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Tesla warranty?
New vehicles come with 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 8 years / 100,000–150,000 miles (battery & drive) on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Tesla reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Tesla model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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