Wheel locks aren’t standard equipment on any Tesla. Every lug nut on a Model 3, Model Y, Model S, or Model X uses the same M14x1.5 thread, and a 21mm socket removes any of them — which means anyone with a lug wrench from their own garage can take a wheel off yours in the time it takes to jack up the car. Wheel locks replace one lug nut per wheel with a lock that only a matching key can turn, so a generic socket spins uselessly against it.
Whether that’s worth doing depends mostly on what’s on the car. Tesla’s factory wheels, and especially any aftermarket or larger wheel-and-tire package, hold real resale value and are a known target in areas with a history of wheel theft — locks are a deterrent, not a guarantee, but they raise the effort enough that most opportunistic theft moves to an easier car.
Tesla sells its own wheel lock set for $50: four forged-steel locks plus one key, compatible with Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y, though not Cybertruck. Third-party sets from brands like EVANNEX and KIKIMO generally run cheaper, in the $15–$30 range, and use the same M14x1.5 thread and cone-seat design as Tesla’s factory lug nuts — the main things to check before buying are that the seat type (cone vs. ball) matches your wheels and that the finish matches if you care about a uniform look.
A few practical notes regardless of which set you buy. Torque them to the factory spec — 129 lb-ft for Model S, 3, X, and Y — the same as any other lug nut. Keep the key somewhere you’ll actually have it at a tire shop or during a roadside flat, not buried in a drawer at home; most owners keep it in the frunk with the tire-repair kit. And treat locks as a deterrent, not a lock in the safe sense — a determined thief with a lock-removal tool can still get through them, the same as with any car. They’re a low-cost way to make your wheels a less convenient target, not a guarantee they’ll never be touched.
Photo by Auto Photographer.
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