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As Tesla navigates its reliability journey, the brand’s latest electric models showcase the company’s progress in addressing early production challenges.Huntsville Today
Tesla has ranked last among 26 automotive brands in a major used-car reliability study by Consumer Reports, with the Model S and Model X from 2014-2019 dragging down the company’s overall score. However, the report also notes that Tesla’s latest models, like the Model Y, have achieved excellent reliability ratings that are competitive with top Japanese brands, indicating the company has learned from its early production struggles.
Why it matters
Tesla’s poor used-car reliability score reflects the company’s growing pains as it scaled up mass production in its early years, but the improving performance of newer models suggests Tesla has addressed many of those early issues. This is an important data point for consumers considering both used and new Tesla purchases.
The details
The Consumer Reports study covers vehicles from roughly 2014 to 2019, a period that coincides with what many describe as Tesla’s ‘production hell’ as the company worked to ramp up manufacturing of the Model S, Model X, and early Model 3. Owners reported problems with drive systems, suspensions, climate control, and other build-quality concerns on these earlier models. In contrast, Tesla’s latest offerings like the Model Y have achieved high reliability scores, indicating the company has learned from its initial challenges.
The Consumer Reports study covers vehicles from 2014 to 2019.Tesla introduced the Model S in 2012 and the Model X in late 2015.
The players
Consumer Reports
A non-profit consumer organization that conducts independent product testing and provides reliability data and ratings.
Tesla
An American electric vehicle manufacturer that has faced production challenges in its early years but has seen reliability improve in its latest models.
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What’s next
As Tesla continues to refine its production and quality control processes, it will be important to monitor the long-term reliability performance of its latest models to see if the positive trends continue.
The takeaway
Tesla’s early production challenges have weighed on its used-car reliability scores, but the company’s newer models show promising signs that it has learned from those issues. This highlights the importance of considering both historical and current data when evaluating a brand’s reliability.
