Consumer Reports - Many are electric: US consumer advocates reveal the most unreliable cars of the year
Alongside performance and looks, the reliability of a car is probably the most important factor when it comes to committing to a vehicle for many years. Large-scale studies by independent organizations such as "Consumer Reports" are therefore an important decision-making aid for potential buyers. Especially when it comes to electric vehicles, whether Tesla, Ford or Audi, many potential buyers are very concerned about longevity.
For this year's report, the US consumer advocates looked at data from 330,000 vehicles from the years 2000 to 2023. The report is based on a survey of Consumer Reports members, in which they are asked about problems and complaints with their cars over the past twelve months. The organization then draws a comprehensive picture from the current responses, results from recent years and its own numerous tests.
Consumer Reports excludes brands for which insufficient data is available at the end of the survey. This year it was Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lucid, Maserati, Mitsubishi and Polestar.
More and more electric cars - and not everything is running smoothly
Unsurprisingly, the number of electric cars is increasing from year to year - and is gradually making it possible to make statements about their reliability. This was unknown territory for many models not so long ago, and for many brands - see Lucid - it still is.
However, Consumer Reports does not always have good things to say about the electric cars that are frequently enough on the road. According to the report, new electric vehicles have 79 percent more problems on average than combustion engines. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) fare even worse, with 146 percent more problems on average. Only hybrids seem to have good news: The vehicles tested experienced 26 percent fewer problems on average than vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines.
'"Consumer Reports" explains the anomalies as follows: "Electric cars are still in their infancy as mainstream vehicles, so it's not surprising that manufacturers by and large are still working out some issues," said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at "Consumer Reports." "However, we are seeing signs that things are moving in the right direction."
Fisher goes on to give perhaps the most important tip for buyers of new vehicles: "As our data has shown time and time again, consumers who value reliability are best served by avoiding brand-new vehicles in their first model year."
However, the problems that cause frustration among drivers of electric vehicles are hardly surprising. In most cases, these are difficulties with charging or breakdowns in connection with the battery. However, newer manufacturers, including Tesla, are also experiencing difficulties with body parts, paintwork and trim as well as the air conditioning system. This also explains why plug-in hybrids have such an appalling record: in addition to all the defects that can occur with combustion engines, the vehicles also have to contend with the problem areas of electric cars.
On the other hand, long-established companies tend to have problems with new technology - and the rest of the vehicle is naturally in a better position due to its long experience.
What pure hybrids, which also combine both drive systems, do better is not clear from the report. Fisher says: "The high reliability of hybrids can be explained by the fact that hybrid technology is now over 25 years old and is mainly offered by the most reliable car manufacturers."
Asian car manufacturers are far ahead - only three Germans in the top 10
A look at the most reliable cars makes it clear that individual manufacturers are responsible for the good results of hybrid vehicles: two models, the Toyota Camry and the Toyota Highlander, land in the top places in Consumer Reports. The Toyota SUV 4Runner takes first place among the most reliable vehicle models.
Toyota is not alone in achieving good results: seven of the ten most reliable manufacturers come from Asia, according to "Consumer Reports". Lexus and Toyota are at the top, the Honda brand Acura is in fourth place, Honda follows in fifth place, followed by Subaru and Mazda and Kia in tenth place.
This leaves little room for other manufacturers. BMW subsidiary Mini takes third place, Porsche comes eighth and BMW qualifies for ninth place.
Tesla, the world's most valuable car manufacturer, landed in 14th place. Consumer Reports gives the Model 3 and Model Y an "average reliability" rating - which is positive. The expensive Models S and X drag down the average for Elon Musk's company.
The last of the 30 places are occupied by two German brands of all things. Volkswagen only made it to 27th place, Mercedes-Benz landed in 29th place and Chrysler brought up the rear, also in the individual rankings. In last place this year was the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid.
Some very regional impressions
However, the results for Volkswagen in particular are not very meaningful for Germany, as the models responsible for the ranking include Atlas, Jetta and Taos, several vehicles that are not even on the market in this country.
The survey results regarding the problems with charging electric vehicles should also be taken with a pinch of salt, as these are exclusively American impressions - the infrastructure in the States is rather unreliable and therefore probably not comparable with experiences in this country.
The trade magazine "Auto Bild" recently published a report on how well young used cars fare at the TÜV - Tesla in particular did not come off well at the German test centers(find out more here).
Source: Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports [2]
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Despite Tesla's high market value, it ranked 14th in terms of vehicle reliability, according to Consumer Reports. The Model 3 and Model Y received an average reliability rating, while the more expensive Model S and X dragged down the average.
Fiat and Alfa Romeo were excluded from Consumer Reports' reliability survey due to insufficient data availability.
The Asian car manufacturers Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Subaru, Mazda, and Kia dominated the list of the most reliable manufacturers, leaving little room for German brands.
BMW's Mini, Porsche, and BMW itself managed to secure spots in the top 10, while Tesla, the world's most valuable car manufacturer, fell behind.
In the category of electric vehicles, new models often experienced more problems than traditional combustion engines, according to Consumer Reports. Tesla, in particular, faced issues with body parts, paintwork, trim, and the air conditioning system in addition to the typical problems seen in electric cars.
Source: www.stern.de
