"No maintenance" is the biggest myth in Tesla ownership. Teslas don't need engine oil changes—there's no engine. But they absolutely have fluids that wear out, and the most overlooked one is the drive unit gearbox fluid.
Your Tesla's drive unit (the motor + gearbox assembly) runs in oil, just like a transmission does. Over tens of thousands of miles, that fluid collects metal particles and breaks down. Tesla calls it a "lifetime fluid"—but whose lifetime? We've drained fluid at high mileage that came out black and contaminated. No fluid survives forever in a mechanical gearbox.
At EV+ Auto Repair, drive-unit oil service is one of our signature jobs: drain the old fluid, replace it with the correct Tesla-spec fluid, and replace the drive-unit oil filter where applicable. It's inexpensive preventive maintenance that protects one of the most expensive components in the car.
"Teslas need no maintenance." They need different maintenance—and ignoring the gearbox fluid is how a cheap service becomes an expensive repair.