Tesla falls six spots in Consumer Reports reliability rankings

Tesla CEO Elon Musk.Reuters/Bobby Yip

• Tesla fell six spots in this year’s rankings by Consumer Reports of the most reliable vehicle brands.
• The publication ranked Tesla 27th out of 29 brands with an average reliability score of 32 points out of a possible 100.
• “Not only are our cars the safest and best performing vehicles available today, but we take feedback from our customers very seriously and quickly implement improvements any time we hear about issues,” a Tesla representative told Business Insider.

Tesla fell six spots in this year’s rankings by Consumer Reports of the most reliable vehicle brands. The publication ranked Tesla 27th out of 29 brands with an average reliability score of 32 points out of a possible 100.

“Not only are our cars the safest and best performing vehicles available today, but we take feedback from our customers very seriously and quickly implement improvements any time we hear about issues,” a Tesla representative told Business Insider.

The top-rated brand, Lexus, received a score of 78. Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, and Kia rounded out Consumer Reports’ five most reliable brands. The lowest-rated brand, Volvo, received a score of 22. Cadillac, Tesla, Ram, and GMC were the four other brands in Consumer Reports’ bottom five.

Consumer Reports created the list by analyzing feedback on over 500,000 vehicles. The publication said Tesla’s Model X SUV was the automaker’s least reliable model due in part to reported issues with its falcon-wing doors and touchscreen. The Model X, which ranked among Consumer Reports’ 10 least reliable vehicles, was also prone to troublesome noises and leaks, according to the publication.

“While the earliest production Model X cars encountered some quality inconsistencies, this is simply not a concern for Model X cars being built today, and it hasn’t been one for quite a while. In fact, the quality of brand-new Model X vehicles today is 3.5 times better than the quality of brand new Model X cars from 2015,” the Tesla representative said.

Consumer Reports said Tesla’s Model S sedan had reported problems with its suspension and door handle. The Model 3 sedan, Tesla’s newest vehicle, was the automaker’s most reliable vehicle, according to Consumer Reports, which said it had “average” reliability. 

“The suspension issues that some Model S customers experienced primarily in 2017 were due to a supplier-related issue that did not pose any threat to vehicle safety or drivability, and presented itself only when the car was parked. The issue has already been addressed for customer vehicles in the field and resolved at the source with fundamental design improvements,” the Tesla representative said.

Consumer Reports recently ranked Tesla’s semi-autonomous driver assistance feature, Autopilot, the second-best among four semi-autonomous systems, and Tesla topped the publication’s owner satisfaction survey in 2017 and 2016. The publication has recommended the Model 3 and Model S, but not the Model X.

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