Man who's driven Tesla Model X for almost 8 years and 168,000 miles reveals how it's held up and how many issues it's had

A man who’s driven a Tesla Model X for almost eight years has now revealed how it’s held up.

This isn’t a lightly used weekend car, it’s covered 168,000 miles and been put to work along the way.

With that kind of mileage, you’d expect a growing list of problems.

Instead, the reality looks very different.

What 168,000 miles has done to this Tesla Model X

The details come from a video on the Matt Goes Electric YouTube channel, where host Matt West spoke with owner Dave to go through the car after nearly nine years on the road.

Dave bought his 2017 Tesla Model X 100D brand new back in October 2017, spending around $123,000 (£98,500) on what was still relatively new tech at the time. 

Because of that, it felt like a rather big risk.

“It was a huge decision… but it was the very best decision made,” he told Supercar Blondie. 

And nearly nine years on, that call has held up.

The car is still running on its original battery and motors, with battery health sitting at around 88 percent. 

On a full charge, it still shows more than 300 miles of range on the display, and efficiency remains strong at roughly three miles per kWh.

Not bad for a 2.8-ton SUV.

It hasn’t been babied either. 

Dave regularly uses it for work, loading it up with office furniture and even towing when needed.

So this isn’t exactly gentle, low-stress mileage.

And then there’s the part most people are waiting for – what’s gone wrong.

Across 168,000 miles, total repair costs land somewhere between $1,900 and $2,500 (£1,500-£2,000). 

A window motor failed after water got into it, the falcon wing door needed a wiring harness, and a couple of front suspension arms were replaced over time. 

That’s about it.

Everything else has largely held steady. 

It’s still only on one set of brake shoes, and aside from a small patch of corrosion on the rear spoiler trim, the car still looks ‘brand new,’ according to Dave.

He also pointed to the ownership experience itself, saying no other car matches the Model X for usability, size, practicality, and tech.

Adding that Tesla’s service has been ‘second to none.’

High-mileage Teslas are becoming the norm

That experience isn’t as unusual as it once sounded. 

Matt West told us high-mileage Teslas – especially ex-taxis – are becoming more common, with many showing ‘exceptional’ reliability.

At the same time, Tesla has continued to support older cars in ways that stand out. 

Around 18 months ago, Dave was contacted and offered a free upgrade to newer cameras and the HW3 Autopilot computer.

A package worth around $21,000 (£17,000) to keep the car compatible with future updates.

Even now, the Model X still receives over-the-air software updates, although new features have slowed as the hardware ages.

Because of that, Dave has no plans to replace it. 

If something did go wrong, he said he’d likely just buy another used Model X rather than switch brands.

While his car’s value has dropped to around $12,500-$15,000 (£10,000-£12,000) due to the mileage, similar examples are still selling closer to $22,500-$25,000 (£18,000-£20,000).

After 168,000 miles, this Model X hasn’t fallen apart, it’s settled in. 

And for Dave, that early leap into EV ownership now looks like it paid off.