Consumer Reports

EVs had 79% more problems than
gas vehicles, according to survey

(December 2, 2023) YONKERS, N.Y. — Consumers are buying electric vehicles in growing numbers, but poor reliability remains an issue, according to the latest Annual Auto Reliability Survey data from Consumer Reports (CR), the nonprofit research, testing, and consumer advocacy organization. Electric pickups in particular are the least reliable category of vehicles.

On average, new EVs have 79 percent more problems than ICE vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) fare even worse with an average of 146 percent more problems. Hybrids, on the other hand, continue to be a bright spot. They experience 26 percent fewer problems than ICE vehicles on average, according to CR’s survey.

“EVs are still in their relative infancy as mainstream vehicles, so it’s really not surprising that manufacturers, by and large, are still working out the kinks,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “That said, we are seeing signs of movement in the right direction. And as our data has consistently shown, reliability-minded consumers would be best served by forgoing brand new vehicles in their first model year.”

CR’s survey findings were announced today at an online news conference in collaboration with the Detroit-based Automotive Press Association.

The most reliable auto brands are headquartered in Asia. Lexus and Toyota take the top two spots in CR’s brand level rankings for 2023. Five other Japanese or Korean brands are in this year’s top ten, joined there by the German trio of Mini, Porsche, and BMW.

Other highlights from CR’s influential annual report include:

    •    Charging and battery issues are bedeviling EVs, but Tesla is bucking that trend with comparatively fewer issues in those categories. Two of its four models, the popular Model Y and Model 3, are  Recommended by CR. The Model 3’s reliability has been average in recent years.The Model Y improved to average this year.

    •    Full-sized pickup trucks remain near the bottom of CR’s brand ranking but aren’t the least reliable category. Midsized and electric pickups are worse for reliability.

    •    This has been a challenging year for domestic manufacturers. Buick ranks highest among the domestic brands, at 12th overall. All the rest are in the bottom half of the brand rankings; Chrysler is dead last.

Every year, CR asks its members about potential trouble areas they’ve had with their vehicles in the previous 12 months. This year’s survey covers 20 problem areas including engine, electric motors, transmission, in-car electronics, and more. CR uses that feedback from consumers to predict reliability ratings for new cars from every major mainstream model. This year, CR gathered data on more than 330,000 vehicles from the 2000 to 2023 model years, with a few newly-introduced 2024 models.

“Even with monumental shifts in the auto marketplace, what matters most to consumers remains the same: finding safe, reliable cars,” said Marta L. Tellado, president and CEO of Consumer Reports. “Our annual auto reliability report guides car buyers to the best, most cost-effective choice for their lives. It’s data you can trust to pick the car you can rely on.”

The number of new hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs being introduced is steadily increasing. Just in the past five years, the percentage of vehicles that CR purchases for its test fleet that are hybrids and EVs has grown from 12 percent in 2018 to 56 percent in 2023. As a result, CR this year added three new individual trouble areas to its reliability survey for electrified vehicles: Electric motor, EV/Hybrid Battery, and EV Charging.This will allow for a clearer picture of the problems with these distinct drivertrains.

    •    Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles still have 17 potential trouble areas.

    •    EVs can have up to 12 trouble areas, where traditional ICE problems such as Engine and Transmission are not included.

    •    Hybrids have 19 potential trouble areas; 17 from ICE vehicles, as well as Electric motor and EV Battery.

    •    PHEVs can experience all 20 trouble areas; 17 from ICE vehicles, as well as Electric motor, EV Battery, and EV Charging.

The predictions for 2024 models are based on each year’s overall reliability for the past three years, provided that the model hasn’t been redesigned during that time. If there is insufficient data on a model in any given model year, CR uses the brand reliability score to supplement that model’s new car prediction. Due to the changes in this year’s survey questions and methodology, direct comparisons to previous years’ brand reliability data cannot be made.

Consumer Reports’ analysis of new car reliability is a key element of CR’s Overall Score, which is a holistic ranking that helps consumers find the vehicles that deliver on their promises and last. The Overall Score also includes road-test performance, owner satisfaction survey results, whether a vehicle comes standard with key active safety systems, and results from crash tests, if applicable.

Different EVs experiencing different problems

The growing pains that have been plaguing EVs are still apparent in CR’s latest survey. Electric cars, electric SUVs, and electric pickups all rank among the least-reliable vehicle categories.

Tesla Motors, the market leader in EV sales, continues to have issues with body hardware, paint and trim, and climate system on its models, but are not as problematic for motor, charging, and battery. At number 14, Tesla is the second-highest ranked domestic automaker in CR’s brand rankings. The Model 3 and Model Y have average reliability while all the other Tesla models–the S, and X–are all below average.

Some EV models from other manufacturers had fewer reported problems related to build quality, but higher rates of powertrain, battery and charging issues. This suggests that legacy automakers need more time to work out the kinks under the hood of their EVs, while Tesla faces above the hood issues. One bright spot is Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, which has shown enough improvement in its EV battery and charging system to now be rated average for predicted reliability, and is eligible for CR’s recommendation.

Hybrids shine, PHEVs not so much

This year’s CR survey shows that hybrids are becoming more reliable, but plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are less so. On average, hybrids are 26 percent more reliable than vehicles with only an internal combustion engine, but PHEVs are 146 percent less reliable. PHEVs combine conventional engines with an electric drive. The added complexity means that there’s more that can go wrong with them.

“Hybrids continue to surpass EVs and ICE vehicles for reliability even though hybrids are more complex with gas-powered engines supplemented by an electric drive system,” Fisher said. “This is because hybrid technology is now over 25 years old and is offered mainly from the most reliable automakers.”

The Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander SUV are among the most reliable of all vehicles in CR’s survey, and their hybrid versions also land near the top of the list. Conversely, several PHEVs are less reliable than their conventional counterparts, such as the below-average Audi Q5 and Chrysler Pacifica PHEVs.