‘Consumer Reports’ pulls its Tesla Model 3 recommendation

Tesla CEO Elon Musk isn’t going to like this: Review publication Consumer Reports announced Thursday that it is no longer recommending the Tesla Model 3 all-electric sedan.

This comes after less than a year of earning the coveted “Recommended” label from the reviewers. Last May, within a week, CR said it couldn’t recommend the vehicle to switching gears with a full recommendation after Tesla implemented brake improvements.

Thursday’s decision is based on results from CR‘s Annual Auto Reliability Survey that found after 500,000 vehicles surveyed the car was one of several that showed “declining reliability.”

According to CR, the main problems with the Model 3 were loose body trim and glass defects.

The Model 3 still has the highest safety ratings from NHTSA and owners are very pleased with their vehicle, but CR still knocked Tesla for reliability issues. It’s just one element used to calculate an overall score, which includes performance in road tests, government crash tests, warning and crash prevention systems and capabilities, and then reliability and satisfaction ratings from the Auto Survey. But it was still enough to tip the scales.

Other vehicles that lost the label: Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Acura RDX, BMW 5 Series, and Volkswagen Tiguan. Three new vehicles earned a rec because of improved reliability (BMW X3, Genesis G90, and Lincoln Nautilus).

At least Tesla’s not alone.