Tesla Model 3/Y part numbers — reading the structure

A Tesla reference such as 1006521-00-A contains a numeric base, a middle code and a final letter. In GNSGO's own index, the same base can appear with different middle codes, revisions or a suffix such as AX. Those references may describe a different finish, service form, core or physical scope. Record the complete number and confirm it against the VIN: the structure helps frame the enquiry, but does not prove interchangeability. That discipline matters because one changed character can alter the finish, supplied scope or commercial route behind the quotation.

1. The three visible parts of a reference

Use 1006521-00-A, a push-pull rivet listed for Model 3 (2017–2023), as the basic example.

This is an observed pattern across GNSGO's 1,058 references, not Tesla's published numbering rules. Comparing complete references with recorded names and applications helps narrow an enquiry; the part record, application and VIN close it.

2. The base number is a family anchor, not an interchange guarantee

A repeated base number is the strongest visible sign that references are related. It is not permission to substitute them.

The wheel nut cap family shows the point clearly. 1027011-00-A is recorded as a medium chrome cap for Model 3 (2017–2023). 1027011-01-A is a black protruding cap listed for Model 3 (2017–2023) and Model S. 1027011-02-A is a shiny black wheel hub nut cover, again listed for Model 3 (2017–2023) and Model S.

All three share 1027011; all three end in A; the middle code changes. The names show finish and form differences. Ordering only “1027011” leaves out the information that separates the saleable references.

This is why GNSGO asks for the number exactly as printed on the old part or label. A base number is useful for searching our records, but it is incomplete purchase information.

3. What the middle code can change

The middle code distribution in our index is heavily concentrated around 00: 850 of 1,058 references use -00-. The next visible groups are -01- (27), -EC- (25), -SC- (20), -S0- (19), -99- (18), -E0- (16), -10- (12), -02- (10), -CN- (8) and -04- (2). Other less common variants also appear.

These counts tell us two things. First, 00 is normal, not meaningless. Second, a different middle code is deliberate enough that it must be retained. We should not turn those observations into a universal dictionary. The pattern across our references suggests that the middle block can separate configuration, finish, service form, region or component scope, but its practical meaning has to be read from the specific family.

Consider the 1077371 family. 1077371-00-L is recorded as a left-hand SAE up-level headlamp assembly. 1077371-10-B is recorded as a left-hand headlight bracket for Model 3 (2017–2023). The shared base links the records, but -00- and -10- do not describe two freely interchangeable headlamps. The recorded physical scope is different: assembly versus bracket.

The same caution applies to -S0-, -SC-, -99-, -EC- and -CN-. Keep the code. Read the full description. Ask whether the quote is for an assembly, a panel, a service form, a finish variant or a region-related reference. If the supplier answers only from the base number, the enquiry is not finished.

4. Why revision letters run as far as L

Our index contains 239 references ending in A, 183 in B, 125 in C, 137 in D, 97 in E, 65 in F, 30 in G, 17 in H, 10 in I, 15 in J, 12 in K and 9 in L. The sequence is visible because a part can change during a vehicle programme. A later letter may reflect a production revision, supplier change, finish change or another controlled difference; the number alone does not tell us which. Nor does an L reference prove that it supersedes every earlier letter for every VIN. Versions can coexist across vehicles, plants, regions and build periods.

Treat the ending as identity, not a quality grade. Ask “which complete reference applies to this VIN?” rather than “what is the newest letter?”

A suffix can also contain more than a single revision letter. That is especially important for core references.

5. AX and the meaning of a Core reference

The cleanest example in our data is the front-left damper family. 1044090-00-A is recorded as a front-left coil damper assembly for a rear-wheel-drive Model 3 (2017–2023). 1044090-00-AX is recorded as a front-left hydraulic two-wheel-drive shock absorber Core, with an application entry covering Model 3 (2017–2023) and Model Y (2020–2024).

In this observed pair, AX is associated with the Core record. A core is not simply another new part sitting beside A on a shelf. It normally belongs to a remanufacturing or exchange supply route in which the used unit has commercial value and return conditions may apply. Deposit, return eligibility, condition and logistics must be confirmed with the quotation. The suffix should never be silently removed.

This pair also shows why a name and fit record must be checked together. The application text is not identical. A buyer should provide the old complete number and VIN so that the available new, remanufactured or core-linked route can be matched to the vehicle and to the purchasing requirement. Remanufactured units can be quoted on request by part number; availability is confirmed order by order.

6. Service, Assembly, E-Coated, Unpainted and Primed

Words in the part name are part of the identity. They tell the buyer what is being offered, but they are not a complete interchange statement.

GNSGO's data gives a direct -S0- versus -SC- comparison. 1487421-S0-D is recorded as a rear quarter outer panel, left hand, Service E-Coated. 1487421-SC-D is recorded as a rear quarter panel Assembly, left hand. The base and revision letter match; the middle code and saleable description do not.

Another pair makes the finish issue visible. 1493736-S0-A is a front fascia recorded as Unpainted With Parking Assist Brackets. 1493736-SC-A is recorded as a front bumper Primed. “Unpainted” and “primed” are not colour codes, and neither promises a panel painted to the vehicle. “With brackets” also changes what is included in the saleable item.

For procurement purposes:

• Service usually signals the form supplied for parts replacement, but it does not prove equivalence to every production assembly.
• Assembly indicates a broader supplied unit than a subcomponent or outer panel may provide.
• E-Coated describes a corrosion-protective coating state, not a finished exterior colour.
• Primed means the surface is supplied in a preparatory finish; colour matching is not implied.
• Core points to an exchange or remanufacturing route whose commercial conditions must be confirmed.

The exact content still has to be checked per reference. Similar names are not a bill of materials.

7. A purchasing method that respects the number

For a clean enquiry, send three identifiers together: the VIN, a clear photograph of the old label, and the complete old part number typed into the message. Add the required side and whether the workshop needs a complete assembly, a service panel, a primed part or a core-linked option.

Do not shorten 1077371-10-B to 1077371. Do not change S0 to SC because the names look close. Do not assume A can be replaced by L. We confirm, part number by part number, whether we can supply it, and we compare the reference with its recorded application before any offer is made. Availability and final application are confirmed on the quotation.

The numbering structure is valuable because it exposes where a mismatch may be hiding. It is not a substitute for VIN confirmation.

Short answers

Is -00- the standard version?

It is the most common middle code in GNSGO's index, appearing on 850 references. We do not describe it as Tesla's “standard” code, because our data does not establish that universal definition.

Does a later revision letter automatically replace an earlier one?

No. A later letter shows another recorded version, not automatic two-way interchange. Confirm the complete reference against the VIN and any recorded supersession.

Are -S0- and -SC- interchangeable?

Not from the code alone. In the 1487421 example, one record is a service E-coated outer panel and the other is a quarter-panel assembly. The supplied scope differs.

What does AX mean?

In our 1044090 evidence, the -AX reference is explicitly named as a Core. Core return, deposit and condition terms are confirmed with the quotation rather than assumed from the suffix alone. Remanufactured units can be quoted on request by part number; availability is confirmed order by order.

Does Primed mean ready in the vehicle colour?

No. Primed describes a preparatory surface state. It does not identify the final exterior colour or guarantee that every associated bracket is included.

What should I send for a parts enquiry?

Send the VIN, the complete old OE reference, a clear label photograph, the required side and the required supplied form. That is faster than asking for a part by a broad name.

Where this comes from.

The references and counts quoted above are taken from GNSGO's own parts index for China-built and China-sourced Tesla parts — the same list at Tesla compatible parts — OE reference index. Availability and application are confirmed per enquiry against the complete OE number and, where it matters, the VIN. The code meanings discussed here are observed patterns in our references, not definitions published by Tesla. We have not drawn on Tesla's copyrighted workshop documentation for this page, and we do not reproduce any manual pages. Where our own data is incomplete, we say so rather than filling the gap with a plausible answer.