*All the way at the very bottom is Tesla, with the worst score of “31.”*
I'm skeptical of these kinds of ratings. I know there's a lot of variation, but my 10 year old Tesla model s with 100k miles on it is still great. I did have to get the door handles replaced over the years, that's a known problem. Are we sure they don't count the regular software updates as something is broken and then they fixed it? Need more background information. Lots more quality complaints about new ones it seems.
I wonder if those earlier model S and model X were better built than the model 3 and Y. Surely they must have had to cut a lot of corners to scale up and drive costs down?
I haven't driven Tesla in a few years but I would assume that your Tesla isn't an outlier for the year it was built. I think the issue that is highlighted by this survey arose in later models when Tesla had a marked drop in quality.
Pretty damming that 8 of the bottom 10 car brands are American
Nobody cares about anecdotal evidence though. Your one Tesla being reliable doesn't mean anything on a scale of millions of cars. In [Germany](https://electrek.co/2025/12/03/tesla-model-y-named-worst-car-for-reliability-germany-major-tuv-report/) they are failing inspections, this is not some biased test either. This is just the same check all cars go through for road safety checks. >The country’s closely watched TÜV Report 2026 has not only ranked the Tesla Model Y as the absolute worst car for reliability in its age group but noted that it has the highest defect rate of any vehicle tested in the last ten years.
Surprised pikachu
It's why I buy Japanese. Buying out of patriotism is for suckers. Even better, buy a Japanese car that was built in Japan. My car is 13 years old, and has been ridiculously reliable. At 160k miles and I plan on at least doubling that.
The problem is that the USA is so protectionist of its car industry that it never has to face other competition and improve.
Pikachu should not be suprised imho. The first thing you learn in finance is that the purpose of a company is to increase shareholder value. USA takes this literally.
idk about this rating. I have a tesla, gf has a tesla. Cars have been solid. Ceo is a druggie d-bag.
Sure, but the plural of "anecdote" is not "data"
“We’re #1!”
ELON 2028!
Chatgpt: According to Consumer Reports (CR) 2026 Brand Report Card, Tesla cracked the top 10 automakers in overall ranking for the first time — and ranked 9th out of 26 brands on reliability. CR specifically noted that Tesla’s electric drivetrain and powertrain systems are now among the more reliable in the EV sector; this helped boost its overall reliability ranking.
We had two, and both had issues. The second Model 3 we had was in the shop for 28 of its first 30 days. I believe you, though. The term is “inconsistent.”
Tell me you don't understand statistics
In theory you'd think electric cars should be the most reliable car on the market well past 100k miles, etc. No transmission, no engine, regenerative braking, etc.
My 91 Toyota is at 303k and I would drive it anywhere.
This is how I want to be in the future with my car. Cars are terrible investments, get something that can be a beater for decades into the future.
They really are, unless you build everything else like crap.
Stock up 10% this morning. I figured something new dropped showing how much a piece of shit this company is
Not surprised Pikachu
Are you really using chatgpt to prove your point?
From the actual CR website: > We studied 20 potential trouble areas, from nuisances—such as squeaky brakes and broken interior trim—to major issues, such as potentially expensive ones related to out-of-warranty engines, transmissions, electric vehicle batteries, and EV charging. We weighed the problems according to their severity to calculate an overall reliability score I don't have a CR subscription, and I'm not sure they publish detailed data anyway, but I'd bet good money this is mostly due to battery range. All of the data is on models at least five years old, so it kind of makes sense that EVs are inherently going to perform poorly. And if CR chose to weight vehicle range complaints heavily, then the effect is greater. Might be a bit of an apples to oranges thing here.
Of course, I get that my exp from a car built more than 10 years ago could have no reflection on today. I'm sure tesla doesn't follow the same care now when they crank them up way way faster. I thought I read somewhere else that some quality reports did include software update counts in their list of "defects fixed". Since tesla does those all the time, and the vast majority are not fixing a problem, that could be a way to increase the estimation of defects. That's what I'd really like to understand better.
>According to the report, the main culprits are the same ones we’ve been hearing about for years: suspension components and brakes. >TÜV inspectors flagged frequent issues with axle suspension parts, such as the notorious control arm bushings that have plagued Tesla owners for a long time. They also found significant problems with brake discs. Because EVs use regenerative braking for most deceleration, the physical friction brakes rarely get used. In Germany’s wet climate, this leads to rust and corrosion on the discs, causing them to fail safety inspections even if they “work” mechanically. >Lighting defects were also a major contributor to the failure rate. This isn't about software updates here
I think that's very likely to be the case. And in Tesla's defense, it's pretty common to reduce the quality etc of cars after a few years but attempt to keep everything working as well.
If they’re including dumb crap like visors bending or cupholder issues that will tank their rating as Tesla interior is trash. But we already know this, so I’m just interested in the mechanical / battery stuff.
Interestingly they jumped up the list a good bit on predicted reliability of new cars to be average (ahead of most US automakers). This list covers model years 2015-2020.
I bought a used 2012 Honda in 2013. The only issue I've had with it is the drooping driver-side visor.
There's two separate lists. One is for reliability of model years 2015 to 2020, so used cars, which the linked article covers. Then Consumer Reports looks at predicted reliability of new cars. So the consumer reports studies show that the number of initial reliability problems for their new cars has gone down significantly compared to their 10 year old cars.
I’m sure your heart goes out to Him.
[deleted]
Maybe except the darn Nissan
Yeah they're not built on a reputation of reliability
I read somewhere that ≈70% of people are just making them up!
TFA said this is data from an owner survey of models from 2016-2021. So owner reported problems, not a database of recalls, TSBs and software updates.
I’m pretty sure replacing the door handles counts as a fault. I’ve owned about 30 cars in my life and never had to replace a door handle on any of them. That’s the problem with Tesla (one of the many): they normalise failures and get people talking as if replacing door handles on a car less than 10 years old isn’t a problem.
> It's why I buy Japanese Wife buys Lexus, and we always make sure it's JP VIN.
Yep
Not really though. Toyota today is the most profitable automaker, because they have chosen to prioritize long time shareholder value by caring about reliability over slightly higher short term profits. The issue is focusing on the current quarter at the expense of long term shareholder value.
Just showing that whatever you read, take it with a grain of salt bruh.
I'm going to cross shop Toyota and Honda and their luxury brands Acura and Lexus for my next car. How much more expensive is maintenance? I don't do my own so I am worried about that.
I'll take everything coming from an Elon fan AND ChatGPT with a grain of salt *bruh*
I couldn't tell you off the top of my head since my wife deals with her Lexus I want to guess oil changes are 2x-3x as expensive, but believe they are at 10k increments and typically dealer markup on 5k-20k, mile maint, etc... (I own a different manufacturer), but I know over the last 15 years she has only praised Lexus for its reliability and customer service. The only thing I'd argue is a drawback is that Lexus services like auto start and some other features are locked behind a subscription. Think a 2-3 used Lexus is a terrific deal.
Yup because people like me research cars ahead of time and a lot of Toyotas have proven reliability. So we'll pay the Toyota tax. Unless it's a truck, Toyota truck prices are too insane for me.
Oh yeah I will research ahead of time as I'm avoiding any features in a car behind a subscription. To me, the car note is the only car subscription I should have!
Yes you are right about Toyota but thats not what im saying. Every company cares about shareholder value, as they should. It is their purpose. The difference is Tesla's bottom line relies heavily on the shareholders perception through pivoting to other industries on a yearly basis, vaporware and crazy predictions. Toyota's bottom line relies heavily on customer satisfaction and driving sales. What really matters is how shareholder value is being returned. Actual substance and fundamentals vs... what ever Tesla is doing. Whatever Tesla *is* doing right to gain shareholder value is genuinely a mystery to me, all I see is the shareholder value going up and nothing to support it. Which is why I said that there are many companies in the US that take the statement of "returning shareholder value" too literally.
Thats pretty suprising, what specifically goes wrong on used Teslas. From my understanding they are considered the Camry of EVs. For other EVs things aren't much better in terms of reliability so far. Hyundai/Kia has the ICCU scandal, GM seems to be having random issues, and Lucid has terrible software and quality control according to Engineering Explained
> I have a tesla, gf has a tesla Hahahahahahaha.
The problem is the software and suspension and the weight and everything else that the user touches in the car like the tech ui and quality of seats and interfaces and climate control etc There is so much that goes in a car that's not just what makes it mobile
> All of the data is on models at least five years old, so it kind of makes sense that EVs are inherently going to perform poorly. According to Tesla their cars don't lose much range at all over time...
> If they’re including dumb crap like visors bending or cupholder issues that will tank their rating as Tesla interior is trash. So is the exterior. They've always had a terrible gap problem and their paint is the worst in the industry.
> in Tesla's defense, it's pretty common to reduce the quality etc of cars after a few years but attempt to keep everything working as well. That's... not what happens in the industry.
Well in fairness, if they are overselling it and that makes customers unhappy, that's a perception problem for them to fix. From what I've read, though, actual range loss is similar on Teslas to other cars.
Don't change oil at 10k. Change it at 5k or 6mo, whichever comes first. See the car car nut on YT.
She just does whatever the warranty and dealership require.
Oofff.
Years ago (as in Princess Diana was still alive) a satirical group called the Capitol Steps wrote an album called "All I Want for Christmas is a Tax Increase." There's a song about the US automotive industry in it, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells, with the chorus: "Jingoists! Jingoists! Jingo all the way! If competition can't be beat then make them go away. Hey!" Sounds about right.
bad idea on the oil part. oil change interval is designed to get you through the warranty. not to have a long life. if that's all you care about, then great! otherwise, oil changes are WAY cheaper than fixing engines.
🤷 Ya man, I dunno, not an expert, but with synthetic oil and modern engines... I am going to go with what the manufacturer and dealership tell me, and for at least my car, it's every 10k miles or 1 year. EDIT: My 2011 F150, I did do every 5k tho.
all you need to do is go to these YT channels: -Care Care Nut -I Do Cars and look at what engines look like when people follow manufacturer intervals. It's what converted me.
Please stay off the sidewalk. Thanks.
And the other two are Kia and Hyundai. If any Americans want to be proud, Buick did land among some Japanese and German makers near the top, which is a little surprising to me. Not sure what accounts for Buick's success but I don't think I've had a bad experience with one.
Well this is primarily true of publicly traded American companies, where it is a requirement of the law.
Does Lexus not take the same kind of oil as Toyota?
Would be interesting to see an internal brand comparison of companies that sell both electric and ICE
Are you telling me the laws of physics also apply to Elon Musk?
Your example proves their point - Ford and GM make worse cars but are doing way better on stock performance
A report came out today saying battery prices are at a new low and are expected to get even lower next year
EV's have transmissions, engines (motors), highly complicated electrical systems, and wear items (brakes)...
I'm worried on how my shitbox will fail on me once the warranty ends. Wish I could afford to sell it but I'm basically stuck with it.
The powertrain is the only thing about my Y that hasn't pissed me off yet.
The tire pressure sensor has a battery in it, so you have to replace them periodically. But 2012 and 2009 are practically babies. My Infiniti is an 07 (and it's showing it's age, and unfortunately Nissan doesn't support it with parts). But my other vehicle is an 01 F150 that I got in Nov 2000, which I expect to go for at least another 20 years.
Ever wonder why Ford is basically the only US brand that has any staying power overseas?
Speaking as a former Customer Service guy for Jeep. I know how fked Jeeps are. If a Tesla beats out a Jeep in quality. That's saying something.
Toyota market cap: 313 billion Ford market cap: 52 billion GM market cap: 72 billion
A tesla model 3 has a curb weight that's 600lbs lower than a 15 year old Ford f-150 and they aren't plagued with suspension problems in spite of their suspension having a lot more travel which 100% makes it more difficult. It's not hard to build suspension that can handle the weight of an EV, it's hard to do so if you are building everything as cheaply as humanly possible.
I think that's is what happened at Tesla. That's the theory why earlier cars seem to last longer. Love to hear your idea of what happened. You think they didn't over build early and went cheaper later I guess.
I could have been more clear, yes it's a fault if you have to replace your door handle. What I was trying to say was this happened to everybody, yes I agree it's a real problem. I bet 85% of early s had this problem. Tesla model S absolutely had a notorious design issue where many early model s' had all four of their door handles replaced over time. When I had my fourth one replaced, the tech doing it at my place said congratulations, now you've had all four of your door handles replaced and you're done.
Agree.
My Tesla has 100k miles on it. The power train has not required maintenance. The power train is the only significant difference between a cheaply made ICE and EV. So yeah EV power trains are significantly more reliable
Curious about this as well. I heard the “low reliability” was in reference to small issues being calculated in there as well. Service appointment for your cupholder being loose? That counts Someone correct me if im wrong
A Bolt weighs almost exactly the same as a new Camry. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, just pointing out that the weight of a small EV hatch and a small gasoline hatch aren't that far off from each other.
And infinitely more sustainable than buying some cheap rust bucket that will last no more than 5 years.
Remember all that "best in the world" statements American car manufacturers keep saying?
Maybe they should use all this superintelligent AI to design better cars?
Reliability isn’t a side story for EVs, it’s the whole story. If repair friction stays high, the resale market becomes a structural headwind. That’s where legacy automakers still have the edge: service networks, not software.
Yes for the small cars, but some of the sedans and longer range vehicles are 4000+ or 5000+ lbs eg Porsche Taycan is 4500 to 5000 lbs
Absolutely. Selling shit products is a guaranteed way to prevent repeat customers. But hey, it was banger quarter.
Yes absolutely. But just off the top of my head, a Genisis g80 sport weighs ~4,600lbs. The Fiskar Ocean and Range Rover Sport weigh within 200(? IDK I think) lbs of each other. People forget you subtract the weight of the fuel tank, transmission, and engine. A direct equivalent EV often weighs only a few hundred pounds more, which is pretty insignificant from a weight and suspension standpoint. The gap obviously increases for trucks, I will mock the Hummer EV forever.
Interesting, I drive a Honda accord hybrid at like 3500 lbs and I just notice a far more comfortable ride and a much more maneuverable vehicle, my sports car is also about 3300 lbs and it really does feel sportier and that's a heavier sports car (non hybrid) I just prefer the lower weight cars, efficiency reasons but also for comfortable cornering and driving feeling in general I know that's probably not what others look at 😅 That said I really look forward to when EV can have lighter batteries for similar range, that would be exciting for me personally
For new cars for the replacement packs?
I laugh every time I see a Jeep ~~owner~~ sucker. Can't believe there are stil people around willing to buy their garbage. Same goes for every time I see a Dodge Ram and a Tesla.
I think Honda should be right up there with Toyoto. I've owned Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas and I think the Civic is better quality and more reliable, although I know people who own Camrys and swear by them. Their reliability is legendary.
Damning, yea. Unexpected, no not really.
Even better, buy a Japanese car IN Japan. Our Honda guy has looked after us for about ten years now, fixing things for free and coming to my house to pick up our car if he needs to fix something or change our tires to snow tires in the winter. I have no idea how they can justify this except I know that I will always buy honda cars until I die.
Even Toyota has gotten into the cutting corners. Dad got rid of his first and last Toyota. He says their quality is legendary because nobody has actually seen it.
According to Tesla they also make the best robots in the world too...
They count Tesla's OTA updates as recalls and maintenance. So this is kind of a dumb as shit take. You don't have to buy or like Tesla, but come one guys use your critical thinking skills.
Duct tape, bale wire, and cheap glue. Oh, but FSD 14 is amazing. /s
You should post this on Twitter. Musk & his bots/minions are bragging non-stop about how magnificent Tesla is. It's quite sickening.
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