Tesla ranks 2nd worst in Consumer reports reliability survey

[Bouba]

As a vehicle yes they are #1 in my eyes but when you start getting into service and parts they are dead last.

That maybe true....until you try to get a Volvo fixed in the South of France....you will love and cherish your Tesla even more.
Dealerships mean that you could become a victim of gangsters even if your car comes from a reputable manufacturer. But at least with a Volvo you know where you stand...rubbish cars and criminal dealers

 

[Xenoilphobe]

After being in existence for 70 + years, Toyota should be making bulletproof cars. It's really not an apples-to-apples comparison. They play it safe with their designs and stick to what worked for them, a big reason for their above average reliability. But they've quit pushing the envelope resulting in cars with little soul. When they talked about bringing back the iconic Supra, eyebrows raised, until everyone realized it was really a BMW z4.

Don't take this as me making excuses for Tesla. They've had their share of problematic cars, yours being one of them, but every company has, and they are still very young. Their first car was only 13 years ago. When all things are considered, they've done quite well so far.

Very true. I was shocked at the crappy user interface on the LX. They use a joystick and don’t have Airplay in a $100k car!! Then again Tesla doesn’t have Airplay either. The LX looks like a mismash of used parts compiled from their parts bin over many different model years. I miss my families old FJ that we got in 1981. I found a company that makes them but they want $200k for a basic model.

 

[DrGriz]

What are the reliability results for the Model 3?

We should be seeing relatively high mileage cars now and 4-5 years post launch should be enough time to see what the major mechanical flaws are.

Looking through the Model 3 threads on this site there doesn't seem to be anything that sticks out. As a former BMW and Audi owner (and forums member) it would be really clear by now on what the mid-term problems are. And usually by now you can take a guess on what the longer term issues would be.

For all of my German cars it would be a long and expensive list by now. The type of list where you think, maybe I should sell my 4 year old car before it gets really expensive on a regular basis.

 

[sleepydoc]

After being in existence for 70 + years, Toyota should be making bulletproof cars. It's really not an apples-to-apples comparison. They play it safe with their designs and stick to what worked for them, a big reason for their above average reliability. But they've quit pushing the envelope resulting in cars with little soul. When they talked about bringing back the iconic Supra, eyebrows raised, until everyone realized it was really a BMW z4.

Don't take this as me making excuses for Tesla. They've had their share of problematic cars, yours being one of them, but every company has, and they are still very young. Their first car was only 13 years ago. When all things are considered, they've done quite well so far.

Ford’s been in existence even longer and their cars are far from bulletproof!

Cars have been around for 135 years, but what we expect a car to be and do has changed dramatically even over the last 20 years. As cars have advanced and become more computerized car makers need computer programmers, circuit designers and people who specialize in interface design as much as they need mechanical and automotive engineers. As Ford and Toyota have shown us, a crappy interface can ruin a car. We also expect our cars to be much more reliable than we did 50 years ago.

Where Toyota has a significant leg up on other companies, especially Tesla is in manufacturing and quality control. Elon Musk himself even said that designing a manufacturing process is far more difficult than designing a car, and a good car design is one that functions well and is also easy to manufacture well. In addition to being new at this, Tesla has had to deal with exponential growth, a pandemic and a global supply chain meltdown. It’s really no surprise that they are having quality control issues. If anything, it should be surprising that they’re not worse.

 

[Az_Rael]

Looking through the Model 3 threads on this site there doesn't seem to be anything that sticks out.

I think it will take more time before the mega threads start showing up. The mega threads for the issues with the early S’s only started showing up in the last couple of years.

So far, the issues I am watching as the owner of a 2017 3 is the reports of control arms going bad, mine is making noise, so I suspect I will be dealing with that soon. The other issue that popped mid-cycle was a bunch of 12v batteries failing about 2 years in (including mine).

edit: I forgot the most common complaint I have seen: AC odor. There are mega threads for how to clean, strategies to avoid, costs, etc.

 

[jhoughton1]

Our 2016 Model S has been totally reliable in every way. It would be great to have Airplay or some better way of accessing the phone, but other than that...it's been perfect. Fit and finish, user interface (though I wish they hadn't moved so many buttons to the bottom of the screen a few years ago, so unsafe), driving, everything. Great car.

 

[tacos4brkfast]

My 2018 Q7 is still at the dealer "waiting on parts".....so this *sugar* happens everywhere. I don't trust CR.

 

[MontyFloyd]

... but they should learn a thing or two from 100 year old companies that know a thing or two about what makes for good quality and service. You want a trouble free high quality experience if you don’t care for tech like many don’t, compare the experience to owning and servicing a Lexus.

Ford Dealer Tells Owner Mustang Mach E Issues "Unfixable"

A video by the owners of a new Mustang Mach-E describe the journey with their local Ford dealer over issues with the car the dealer says are "unfixable."

www.motorbiscuit.com

Chevy Bolt Battery Recall: How Could This Have Happened?

A full explanation of the problem causing every single Bolt EV to be under recall for a potential fire-causing defect.

www.caranddriver.com

VW ID.3: It Has Multiple Bugs, But Here's Why

The VW ID.3 – considered as the electric Beetle – has a long list of bugs. The explanation for them is Volkswagen trying to avoid emission fines.

insideevs.com

I can go on, should I?

(to be complete, Tesla had a very rough patch a few years ago. No one is a master on quality. )

 

[MontyFloyd]

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

Good information, except it is over 1.5 year old.


I am not saying CR is wrong, cannot counter their statement, and perhaps compared to established ICE cars there are deficiencies in Tesla QC. Now I have heard last few months T quality has greatly improved, so will see how it is a few months from now when the next JD Power Initial Quality Study (which measures vehicle quality in the first 90 days of ownership) is performed, 2 years later.

(Also note from link:

• Tesla profiled for first time: Tesla receives an initial quality score of 250 PP100. The automaker is not officially ranked among other brands in the study as it doesn’t meet ranking criteria. “Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t grant us permission to survey its owners in 15 states where it is required,” said Doug Betts, president of the automotive division at J.D. Power. “However, we were able to collect a large enough sample of surveys from owners in the other 35 states and, from that base, we calculated Tesla’s score.”

 

[sleepydoc]

Good information, except it is over 1.5 year old.


I am not saying CR is wrong, cannot counter their statement, and perhaps compared to established ICE cars there are deficiencies in Tesla QC. Now I have heard last few months T quality has greatly improved, so will see how it is a few months from now when the next JD Power Initial Quality Study (which measures vehicle quality in the first 90 days of ownership) is performed, 2 years later.

(Also note from link:

Any reliability information will necessarily be 'old' because you can't get data from the future. Even the JD power initial quality survey that looks at the first 90 days needs to get enough survey responses and do the proper analysis before they can give even preliminary results.

What we all want to know is "How likely am I to have problems with the new car I buy today?" but the only way to get to that is by looking at the past and extrapolating.

 

[DrGriz]

The CR article referenced compares "BRANDS", not models. This is the article's greatest Achilles Heel as far as I am concerned.

They are comparing a brand, Tesla, which makes ONLY EVs, against other automaker Brands that make all sorts of vehicles, but overwhelmingly ICE vehicles.

While I might want to know how any given vehicle compares to another in terms of whether it is safe and likely to get me home, it is unfair and misleading to compare the exhaust system of a Nissan Leaf to that of a Jeep Cherokee, which is exactly how they derived these Brand ratings.

It would far more meaningful to compare the reliability of a Leaf to a Model 3 or Model Y, using common attributes. No one I know of is looking to compare a Dodge Challenger to a Rivian pickup in terms of reliability. It would be meaningless both in a real-world sense and in terms of logic. I would want to know how reliable a Dodge EV is compared to a Rivian EV. Of course, neither one exists as far as owner's experience and we would have to rely on historical data to...oh, wait.

 

[sleepydoc]

The CR article referenced compares "BRANDS", not models. This is the article's greatest Achilles Heel as far as I am concerned.

They are comparing a brand, Tesla, which makes ONLY EVs, against other automaker Brands that make all sorts of vehicles, but overwhelmingly ICE vehicles.

While I might want to know how any given vehicle compares to another in terms of whether it is safe and likely to get me home, it is unfair and misleading to compare the exhaust system of a Nissan Leaf to that of a Jeep Cherokee, which is exactly how they derived these Brand ratings.

It would far more meaningful to compare the reliability of a Leaf to a Model 3 or Model Y, using common attributes. No one I know of is looking to compare a Dodge Challenger to a Rivian pickup in terms of reliability. It would be meaningless both in a real-world sense and in terms of logic. I would want to know how reliable a Dodge EV is compared to a Rivian EV. Of course, neither one exists as far as owner's experience and we would have to rely on historical data to...oh, wait.

There are many people considering EVs that are also considering hybrids, so comparing Tesla to other companies is not unreasonable at all. If you insist on only comparing Tesla to companies that only make electric cars then Tesla will be at the top and the bottom because right now it's the only one. Not everyone is looking solely at EVs, though, and comparing a Tesla to other companies can be a useful comparison.

As you yourself have posted in this thread previously, CR does both. They have a breakdown of reliability/problems for individual vehicles as well as overall reliability by brand. If Dodge were to make an EV the only way to get any idea of expected reliability for the first year would be to look at the brand as a whole. That's far from perfect, but it's the only option. If you're looking at a brand new company with a brand new car, like Rivian, then buyer beware - you're buying completely on faith.

 

[DrGriz]

There are many people considering EVs that are also considering hybrids, so comparing Tesla to other companies is not unreasonable at all. If you insist on only comparing Tesla to companies that only make electric cars then Tesla will be at the top and the bottom because right now it's the only one. Not everyone is looking solely at EVs, though, and comparing a Tesla to other companies can be a useful comparison.

As you yourself have posted in this thread previously, CR does both. They have a breakdown of reliability/problems for individual vehicles as well as overall reliability by brand. If Dodge were to make an EV the only way to get any idea of expected reliability for the first year would be to look at the brand as a whole. That's far from perfect, but it's the only option. If you're looking at a brand new company with a brand new car, like Rivian, then buyer beware - you're buying completely on faith.

I never suggested CR compare Tesla to companies that only make EVs. Only that EVs be compared to EVs.
That Toyota builds a reliable ICE truck doesn't imply they can build a reliable pure EV. At all, whatsoever.

The problem with the ARTICLE is that it compares apples to horses.

 

[DrGriz]

Let's put it this way: based on the CR article, Chevrolet has a far, far higher reliability rating than Tesla. But, honestly, would you buy a used Chevy Bolt right now?

 

[30seconds]

View attachment 743123
View attachment 743124

View attachment 743125

Thanks. Anyone have any idea on what the Body Integrity, Power Equipment or In Car Electronics issues might be for the Model 3?

I can’t think of any that I’ve heard about? Is this about panel gaps and Autopilot?

 

[P85LongBeach]

My P85 has had everything replaced from the infotainment system, instrument cluster, battery pack, 12V battery, regenerative braking assembly.. I mean, for an 'efficient' car, it sure does have some issues.. I hope they are figuring out how to make these cars better.