Tesla shares: This is how the electric car manufacturer performs in a user survey when it comes to reliability

• New car significantly improved
• Used cars continue to bring up the rear
• Different evaluation standards

Key message: Tesla is improving when it comes to new cars – but remains at the bottom when it comes to used cars

The evaluations by Consumer Reports, the largest consumer organization in the USA, paint a clear but divided picture of the Tesla brand. In the ranking for the predicted reliability of new vehicles, Tesla has noticeably improved and is now in 9th place among the car brands evaluated. At the same time, the company remains at the bottom of the list when it comes to the reliability of used cars that are five to ten years old, ranking last out of 26 brands, as Consumer Reports notes in its long-term study.

Consumer Reports attributes this discrepancy to the fact that many older Tesla models come from a phase in which the company ramped up new vehicles and production processes very quickly. An above-average number of problems occurred during this time. Newer models, on the other hand, now show above-average reliability, which indicates improvements in production and quality assurance.

Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, also tells CNBC that Tesla’s progress is largely due to gradual development. Accordingly, the manufacturer will be able to increase reliability as long as there are no major model changes and existing vehicles are continuously refined.

Where exactly Tesla got better – and where it didn’t

In the current brand evaluation by Consumer Reports, Tesla is considered the biggest mover. The brand improves by eight places and moves up to 9th place. Consumer Reports sees this as a clear indication that the reliability of the newer models has stabilized overall.

Consumer Reports names the Model 3 and Model Y as the most important drivers of this development. Model 3 is considered the most reliable in the study Electric car ranked across the data set, while the Model Y is rated as both the most reliable electric SUV and the most reliable electric vehicle overall. These two sales models have a significant impact on the brand’s improved performance.

The picture is less clear with the older premium models. Model S and Model The Cybertruck, on the other hand, performs significantly worse, being rated as below average in reliability.

At the cause level, Consumer Reports points out that reported problems with newer Tesla vehicles have noticeably decreased. The problem rates have fallen, particularly with body components, paint and interior processing as well as with additional electrical functions, which is directly reflected in the better reliability values.

Methodology: Why “new” and “used” can diverge

The difference between ratings for new and used vehicles at Consumer Reports is systemic. The used car ranking is based on the experiences of CR members with five to ten year old vehicles. For each brand, the reliability ratings of all models over several model years are combined and condensed into an average value.

The data basis is broad: Consumer Reports evaluates information on more than 140,000 vehicles and takes into account around 20 different problem areas. These range from relatively minor defects to costly defects in the engine, transmission or, in electric vehicles, battery and charging systems. The individual problems are not given equal weight, but are assessed according to their severity and the possible consequences for the owners.

The ranking for the predicted reliability of new vehicles, however, follows a different approach. Here, Consumer Reports creates a weighted problem rate from the reported problems and averages this over younger model years, usually over vehicles from the latest model generations, provided there is sufficient data. This means that current production and quality standards are taken into account in the evaluation.

Consumer Reports expressly points out that the two rankings do not have to contradict each other. Different vehicle generations, technical changes and changes in the model portfolio can mean that a brand performs significantly better with new cars than with older used vehicles – or vice versa.

Editorial team finanzen.net

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