Perhaps you’ve been holding off on buying that Tesla Model Y or Model 3. Well, prices for used Tesla EVs are hitting record lows. However, the recent climate has never been more hostile toward the brand and its electric vehicles. 

Used Tesla prices are at rock-bottom lows, including the wildly popular Model Y

Sales estimates suggest that Americans bought over 400,000 Model Ys in 2024. That number makes the lumpier sibling to the Model 3 the most popular EV in the country. Now, with sky-high prices and less purchasing power, American buyers are turning to the used car market. And prices have seldom been better for a used Tesla Model Y.

The average price for a used Model Y dropped to around $30,000 in March 2025. That’s a $6,000 decline from this time last year. Better yet, shrewd car shoppers can still find low-mileage examples at well under that $30,000 mark, depending on factors like location.   

According to Forbes, the brand’s cheapest EV has hit new levels of affordability. It’s the Model 3, and savvy used car shoppers can find them for under $15,000 in early 2025. Of course, you’re not going to find one for less than 100,000 miles for that sum. Instead, that sub $15,000 is going to buy you a high-mileage Model 3.

However, that might not be the death sentence you’d expect. A Model 3 with over 200,000 miles recently displayed a whopping 88% of its original battery capacity after testing. Of course, that won’t be the case for everyone. 

Buyers will have to contend with the new stigma surrounding the brand

Unless you’ve been living under a rock without access to the internet, you know that Tesla has a bit of a PR crisis right now. CEO Elon Musk is sparing no effort to use the DOGE to cut government costs, often at the expense of Americans’ livelihoods. His government influence and, well, unsavory public image have left the electric car marque with a black eye.

It’s bad enough that more extreme protestors have taken to damaging, vandalizing, and even targeting the brand with arson. In another case, a student organization promised to vandalize California Teslas if the owners didn’t trade or sell their vehicles. The organization cited an anti-Musk impetus and claimed that they intended to create “shame” for Tesla owners.

On the less destructive, more innocuous side of things, drivers have been stalking Cybertrucks and projected anti-Musk and anti-Tesla messages on their tailgates. Not so dangerous, but still publicly scathing.

Frankly, it’s working. A number of Seattle-area Tesla owners have taken to removing the badges on their EVs. Instead, owners re-brand the vehicles with everything from Audi, Honda, and Mazda badges to Corvette lettering. Sure, maybe a used Tesla is a tempting prospect, but you had better be ready for what the public throws at you.