US man with 168K-mile Tesla Model 3 Long Range issues warning to clean your car's radiator after sharing what came out of his EV after a year
Published on Jul 17, 2026 at 8:11 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 17, 2026 at 8:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
An American man with a 168,000 mile Tesla Model Long Range has issued a warning after cleaning his radiator.
Taking to Reddit, he issued a plea for drivers to clean their radiators.
He admitted that it’d been a year since he last got to the job.
The image of what came out of this Tesla will leave you shocked.
There are plenty of cautionary tales on the internet
When you take ownership of a car, you take responsibility for every little thing that could go wrong with it.
That’s a heavy – and often expensive – responsibility to carry on your shoulders.
Fortunately, we live in the 21st century and there are tons of warnings on the internet from fellow drivers.
One expert warned that hackers could hack into your car’s tire pressure system, while another warning pointed towards a commonly pressed button.
Even the gas station isn’t exempt from the onslaught of warnings.
Fortunately, this warning that was shared to Reddit doesn’t involve hackers or cyber-criminals.
Instead this is a plea for drivers to stay on top of maintenance.
What the Tesla Model 3 Long Range owner found
Redditor dezbert_skooter shared two images into the subreddit for Tesla Model 3 owners.
“Don’t forget to clean your radiator!” he urged his fellow Reddit users.
“Currently sitting @ 168k miles on my 21’ M3LR (Model 3 Long Range).
“It’s been ~1 year since I last cleaned my radiator and this is what came out!
“Highly recommend doing it as it’s super easy and quick (use Youtube if you haven’t done it before).
“Helps the A/C and efficiency overall.
“Feels good to get it done and can already tell the fans are working less to cool it down.. especially when parked and plugged in after a long hot drive.”
The second image showed the inside of a vacuum cleaner, which had picked up a substantial amount of dirt and dust.
Whether or not this surprises you will depend a lot on your mileage.
If you’re on the ball with car maintenance, you’ll be duly horrified by this accumulation.
On the other hand, if you’re not quite up to date with cleaning your radiator, you might be feeling a little guilty.
You also might be looking up YouTube tutorials in a separate tab.
The rest of Reddit was on-hand to deliver its verdict
It certainly seemed like other Reddit users appreciated the heads-up.
“I cleaned my 2018 for the first time today. Found a mummified lizard and a lot of debris,” one commenter admitted.
“This should be done every 30,000 miles,” another said.
Alongside those comments came plenty of photos showing the dirty inside of various radiators.
It’s always handy to have a reminder about what needs doing, as we all lead such busy lives.
And in the case of a dirty car radiator, it’s important to ensure it gets seen to as soon as possible.
A buildup can push the engine into running dangerously hot, which could lead to blown gaskets, warped cylinder heads, and expensive internal engine failures.
So consider this whole article your reminder to get it cleaned up.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
