Tesla ranks 2nd worst in Consumer reports reliability survey

[jsmay311]

So this comparison was only made against other EV's.

I am sure Jeep, and other ICE cars have lower ratings.

The way the article is presented shows anti Tesla bias methinks.

Nope. Click the link. It includes all major brands.

 

[roblab]

My fourth Tesla is in the Garage, next to my third. My major problem was that once I had to replace a windshield wiper that broke. Lemme see: That would put me at the top of the survey, wouldn't it?

C'm on, man. When I bought my first Toyota I thought it was leaps and bounds above my Chevy or my diesel Mercedes, but when I bought my Tesla, I had a revelation. Tesla is all I will buy now, for the main reason that it's electric. Now I have the S, my wife has the 3, my daughter has the X, and the Y has only just come out, so we'll see who in the family wants one. I'm sure it won't be long.

 

[Bouba]

The other thing to note is that Tesla doesn’t con anyone with advertising. A lot is done through word of mouth. There must be a lot of satisfied customers

 

[MaxHG]

I think Consumers reports anti-Tesla bias is showing. Tesla is so terrible that they have sold every vehicle they can make at least thru the spring. They are so terrible that they have the highest owner satisfacion rating of any car. Tesla must have a lot of people fooled.

Consumer reports may have been ”anti-Tesla” biased however, I don’t think they are incorrect on this. I would consider myself as a good example here. I have loved Tesla as a company since its inception. Like all their models produced to date.
I currently own a model Y, took delivery Sept 10 2021. Love the car. It had what I would call a considerable amount of “delivery defects”. These are what CR is keeping track of and referring to. All repairable, I had expected most from all the various online delivery inspection lists.

1 Rear tailgate alignment, done twice before getting it right,
2 Rear left taillight alignment,
3 Rear passenger door alignment
4 Front passenger door alignment
5 Rear passenger black plastic wheel arch trim needed replacement as initial instal was incorrect bending the fasteners plus it was scratched, they replaced it after third visit ignoring it first two times
6 Rear driver doorcard had a rip In the door handle vegan leather, they replaced it
7 Rear seat track plastic covers flew off first time 2nd row bench lifted to access third row, initial install were incorrect, they replaced one that broke plus reinstalled other one
8 Passenger side B Pillar trim was not Installed properly exposing the bodily shell metal, they removed and reinstalled
9 Front driver side Gemini Wheel aero cover was bent due to improper initial instal, fastener tabs broken, this one was replaced on delivery day after I complained refusing to take the car with it broken
10 One of the Gemini Wheels had damage in the paint fIrish due to improper aero wheel cover install, wheel was replaced on third service visit after first two ignored the request. This same wheel had black paint inside the clear,, I think that is the only reason they replaced it ignoring the damage done by the aero cover
11 Passenger front door floor trim not installed properly, removed and reinstalled
12 Rear cargo shelf that covers the main sub truck strap came loose, they replaced the shelf
13 Still open, I find the AC compressor really loud, they have advised twice that it is operating normally. I have driven several model Y’s plus know serval friends and family members that own model Y’s built in the same period as mine, I find them to be more quite.
I may have missed one

These are all software aside. I am not touching on Auto Pilot phantom breaking, side view collision warning, Bluetooth connectivity issues with IPhone 13 pro but perfect on previous IPhone 11pro. Software will get patched and/or updated….

All these have since been addressed except the last one, I’ll wait and see. As mentioned, I expected many of them prior to delivery. I still love the car, and the company, but most of these issues could have and should have been caught prior to my taking delivery either by Tesla QC at the factory or the delivery center pre delivery inspection which I don’t believe they do one. Both QC inspections I think Tesla is doing a poor job of at the moment. All easily repairable so they appear to have the mindset of “just get the cars done and delivered, we’ll deal with QC after the fact”. I do not know anyone who has not had similar post delivery issues similar to mine. I am not saying I have not had issues with other new cars in the past, it happens with all.

The good news is that so far there have not been any mechanical operational issues and already just shy of 5000 miles driven. Still love the car though, more so now after the aforementioned have been addressed.


Max

 

[alexgr]

You ought to be a very special kind of Tesla owners to be a CR member.

 

[stcptl]

Few things are more polarizing than these third-party reviews on Tesla.

First of all, it's hard to accuse CR of a Tesla bias in a true sense since the Model S was at one point their highest rated car. However, that said, their notion of reliability is totally bogus. Reliability should mean something that prevents the car from operating. Tesla should be winning or at least close to the top of the Heap in that department. Quality control in other systems that don't impact whether or not you can drive away but do impact how much grief the car subjects you to should not be evaluated on a Level Playing Field with drivetrains, core electrical systems, Etc.

I do think it's curious that CR did everything they could to minimize and under-report how the Tesla Model 3 had the highest owner satisfaction of any brand or model - indeed I had to spend 10 to 15 minutes digging through their website to even find comparative ratings of owner satisfaction.

So I think they plaster the bad news on the front page and put the good news in a footnote. I don't understand why they do that. And that does look like bias but I think it's actually part of their non advertising advertising.

In any case after trying to get them to consider that some of their terminology was misleading and their complete and utter refusal to even discuss the issue, I canceled my subscription. They don't have the same issues that the automotive press does but they have their own set of distorting issues. Neutrality is just about impossible it seems.

Laying the blame on CR instead of Tesla’s comparatively poor quality and reliability is counterproductive. One can contend with individual aspects of these surveys but they are the best third party source of objective information, not anecdotal experiences. JD power similarly has Tesla as dead last. And no, if I’m paying $60,000 to $100,000+ for a vehicle, I want everything to work, not just the main mechanical or driving/operating components. And I want responsive and high quality service whenever there are issues and not just be told everything is “to spec”.

Tesla ranks last on influential JD Power quality survey

Tesla cars suffered 250 problems per 100 vehicles, well above industry average of 166.

www.theverge.com

 

[DrGriz]

Few things are more polarizing than these third-party reviews on Tesla.

First of all, it's hard to accuse CR of a Tesla bias in a true sense since the Model S was at one point their highest rated car. However, that said, their notion of reliability is totally bogus. Reliability should mean something that prevents the car from operating. Tesla should be winning or at least close to the top of the Heap in that department. Quality control in other systems that don't impact whether or not you can drive away but do impact how much grief the car subjects you to should not be evaluated on a Level Playing Field with drivetrains, core electrical systems, Etc.

I do think it's curious that CR did everything they could to minimize and under-report how the Tesla Model 3 had the highest owner satisfaction of any brand or model - indeed I had to spend 10 to 15 minutes digging through their website to even find comparative ratings of owner satisfaction.

So I think they plaster the bad news on the front page and put the good news in a footnote. I don't understand why they do that. And that does look like bias but I think it's actually part of their non advertising advertising.

In any case after trying to get them to consider that some of their terminology was misleading and their complete and utter refusal to even discuss the issue, I canceled my subscription. They don't have the same issues that the automotive press does but they have their own set of distorting issues. Neutrality is just about impossible it seems.

You are so dead on. Panel gaps 1 mm off or dings from shipping should not be weighted the same or even in the same survey as failing transmissions.

This is where the subtle bias against Tesla (CU Biggest donor Ford Foundation, former Ford bigwigs on BOD). You choose the right questions and get the answers you want.

 

[Bouba]

I think that when dealing with software we have an inbuilt tolerance to faults. This is conditioning from the very earliest of computer experience and also we feel somewhat secure in the knowledge that a patch or update with be along to fix it.
Hardware failure is a different category

 

[DrGriz]

Laying the blame on CR instead of Tesla’s comparatively poor quality and reliability is counterproductive. One can contend with individual aspects of these surveys but they are the best third party source of objective information, not anecdotal experiences. JD power similarly has Tesla as dead last. And no, if I’m paying $60,000 to $100,000+ for a vehicle, I want everything to work, not just the main mechanical or driving/operating components. And I want responsive and high quality service whenever there are issues and not just be told everything is “to spec”.

Tesla ranks last on influential JD Power quality survey

Tesla cars suffered 250 problems per 100 vehicles, well above industry average of 166.

www.theverge.com

As you point out, "Quality and Reliability". They are two separate animals. Throwing them into the same survey skews things.

Also, Toyota has been building essentially the same Tacoma pickup since I bought mine in 2010. Of course it is "reliable."

 

[daniel]

I agree with most of your comments but I have highlighted one sentence of your post and would like to comment thereon:

The experience I have had with this kind of logic is that only the squeaking wheels are heard. I opine that the vast majority of Tesla operators just bought a car, it runs well, maybe a minor issue here and there, but aren't standing up and hollering about how crappy their Tesla is because of some small issue.

Okay. Fair point: Reports on TMC are not representative of Tesla owners as a whole.

No hate here. Distrust, yes. Disagreement with their sampling method, yes.

When I read that they have heard from every single cotton picking one of the Tesla owners worldwide and have evaluated those comments, then I might pay a little attention to them. gain, they mostly hear from the ones with a real or imagined axe to grind.

Polling is not perfect but it is good. And CU is the most reliable consumer-interest source there is.

Teslas are, overall, the best cars on the road. Safety, performance, and environment all go into that assessment. They are also comfortable and fun to drive, though they are not the most comfortable cars. Reliability and customer service are two areas where Tesla does not do well. Not badly enough to lose the "Best Overall" rating, or the high customer satisfaction score, but not as good as some other companies.

CU does not have any axes to grind. But every single product category they test, fans of the lower-rated brands rise up and scream "Bias!!!"

 

[Tha_Ape]

I think Consumers reports anti-Tesla bias is showing. Tesla is so terrible that they have sold every vehicle they can make at least thru the spring. They are so terrible that they have the highest owner satisfacion rating of any car. Tesla must have a lot of people fooled.

I will say the only issues I've had with my Y are misaligned panels and a couple of paint chips... EXACTLY what CR called out.

 

[DrGriz]

I will say the only issues I've had with my Y are misaligned panels and a couple of paint chips... EXACTLY what CR called out.

Everything to do with build quality, nothing to do with "reliability".

“YOU KEEP USING THAT WORD. I DO NOT THINK IT MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS.”​

(Referring to CR, not Tha_Ape)

 

[lynnpt2001]

Who is consumer reports? Oh that is the magazine my Great Grandfather read to get info

 

[dfwatt]

Laying the blame on CR instead of Tesla’s comparatively poor quality and reliability is counterproductive. One can contend with individual aspects of these surveys but they are the best third party source of objective information, not anecdotal experiences. JD power similarly has Tesla as dead last. And no, if I’m paying $60,000 to $100,000+ for a vehicle, I want everything to work, not just the main mechanical or driving/operating components. And I want responsive and high quality service whenever there are issues and not just be told everything is “to spec”.

Tesla ranks last on influential JD Power quality survey

Tesla cars suffered 250 problems per 100 vehicles, well above industry average of 166.

www.theverge.com

Who's blaming CR for Tesla's poor quality control? You like knocking down straw men.

 

[daniel]

Who is consumer reports? Oh that is the magazine my Great Grandfather read to get info

Yep. It's been around for decades and is the most reliable source of consumer information there is, which is why it's still here.

Who's blaming CR for Tesla's poor quality control? You like knocking down straw men.

Nobody is blaming CU for Tesla's quality control. But some folks here are claiming that CU is lying about Tesla's quality control, claiming that CU is biased against Tesla, for some unspecified reason, and in spite of the fact that on every metric except quality control CU gives Tesla top marks!

 

[P=I*V]

I struggle to make the connection between “reliability” vs. build quality issues. I believe my Tesla will prove to be highly reliable - much higher than some of the ICE vehicles I’ve owned. Yes, I have noticed and had repaired a build quality issue and fixed a rattle myself, but I don’t consider these reliability issues; I mean neither problem affected in any way the drivability of the car. Our other car is a late model Lexus hybrid that has been in the shop several times in the past two years for actual reliability issues.

 

[sleepydoc]

Few things are more polarizing than these third-party reviews on Tesla.

First of all, it's hard to accuse CR of a Tesla bias in a true sense since the Model S was at one point their highest rated car. However, that said, their notion of reliability is totally bogus. Reliability should mean something that prevents the car from operating. Tesla should be winning or at least close to the top of the Heap in that department. Quality control in other systems that don't impact whether or not you can drive away but do impact how much grief the car subjects you to should not be evaluated on a Level Playing Field with drivetrains, core electrical systems, Etc.

I do think it's curious that CR did everything they could to minimize and under-report how the Tesla Model 3 had the highest owner satisfaction of any brand or model - indeed I had to spend 10 to 15 minutes digging through their website to even find comparative ratings of owner satisfaction.

So I think they plaster the bad news on the front page and put the good news in a footnote. I don't understand why they do that. And that does look like bias but I think it's actually part of their non advertising advertising.

In any case after trying to get them to consider that some of their terminology was misleading and their complete and utter refusal to even discuss the issue, I canceled my subscription. They don't have the same issues that the automotive press does but they have their own set of distorting issues. Neutrality is just about impossible it seems.

Agreed - I was going to point out the same thing. I also agree that reliability and manufacturing defects are quite different.

You are so dead on. Panel gaps 1 mm off or dings from shipping should not be weighted the same or even in the same survey as failing transmissions.

This is where the subtle bias against Tesla (CU Biggest donor Ford Foundation, former Ford bigwigs on BOD). You choose the right questions and get the answers you want.

People love to rag on CR for their bias, but in this case it's purely statistical analysis. Their sample may be biased based on their readership but the analysis is applied consistently to all cars. Likewise, you may consider minor cosmetic defects like a misaligned panel or paint chip things that should be excluded, but CR uses the same criteria for all cars; they don't just hold some to a higher standard so they can rate them lower.

I love my MY. I've only had one issue with it - a screw that limits the travel of the seat was out of adjustment so the driver's seat would occasionally get stuck all the way back. I'm 6'5" so it didn't bother me at all but my wife is 5'1" and it made the car undrivable for her. This was a minor adjustment issue but still required a trip to the service center. This would qualify on CR's report.

Tesla has been having quality control issues, that is a well known fact. It doesn't matter if your car costs $20,000 or $120,000, it should be free of defects when you receive it from the dealer. Tesla has been under significant pressure due to its rapid growth, so the quality control issues are not terribly surprising but that doesn't mean they are acceptable.

 

[Tha_Ape]

Everything to do with build quality, nothing to do with "reliability".

“YOU KEEP USING THAT WORD. I DO NOT THINK IT MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS.”​

(Referring to CR, not Tha_Ape)

There is something to be said about that.... They're extending that to reliably putting together a car that looks like the next one. I have had 0 issues with the car actually driving.

 

[Az_Rael]

Reliability should mean something that prevents the car from operating

I disagree. Prior to my Tesla’s (which have stranded me twice ) I haven’t been stranded by a car in years. I want to know how many times I am going to have crap break that needs to be taken to the service center where I have to take off work, etc. I care even more about those type of items for an EV which basically never has to go in otherwise. It’s not like I can make a list of small broken things to have them deal with at my next oil change.

So I like the CR reliability ratings, and my anecdotal experience is they are 100% correct in their assessment of Tesla. I love my Teslas, but I tell everyone they are like owning an exotic - you are going to have a blast, but will probably spend quite a bit of time dealing with the service center.

 

[sleepydoc]

I disagree. Prior to my Tesla’s (which have stranded me twice ) I haven’t been stranded by a car in years. I want to know how many times I am going to have crap break that needs to be taken to the service center where I have to take off work, etc. I care even more about those type of items for an EV which basically never has to go in otherwise. It’s not like I can make a list of small broken things to have them deal with at my next oil change.

So I like the CR reliability ratings, and my anecdotal experience is they are 100% correct in their assessment of Tesla. I love my Teslas, but I tell everyone they are like owning an exotic - you are going to have a blast, but will probably spend quite a bit of time dealing with the service center.

I agree - take the air conditioning for example. The car will operate just fine, but if it's the middle of summer you're stuck driving around in a sauna. I always like showing up for a meeting drenched in sweat.

Clearly there is a difference between a defect that leaves you stranded at the side of the road, one that is a significant issue, like the A/C example above, and one that is a minor inconvenience (a misaligned panel), but ultimately they all require you to take the car in to have it serviced which is a hassle at best.