EVs, Pickups Tank In Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings

Just as automakers are ramping up introductions of new battery-electric cars and trucks in their effort to convince consumers to make the switch from internal combustion vehicles, those on the road right now are proving to be less than reliable.

In its annual auto reliability report released Tuesday, Consumer Reports revealed problems with battery packs, charging systems, and the motors in their drive systems were reported by owners of Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Kona Electric and Volkswagen ID.4. On the other hand, hybrid-electric vehicles proved much more reliable according to the owner surveys.

It would seem counter-intuitive since pure battery-electric vehicles contain fewer moving parts. But during a presentation of the study at an online meeting of the Automotive Press Association, Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports, Senior Director Automotive Testing, explained the difference, pointing out hybrid technology has been around for over 20 years, compared with still-emerging EV systems.

“EVs market right now…they are often being marketed to early adopters. That means the latest technology is being packed into these vehicles—everything from modern infotainment systems to driving automation, revolutionizing the way you open up the door,” said Fisher, “but when it comes to hybrids they really are really practical vehicles. They’re being built for people looking for efficient vehicles, affordable vehicles, safe, reliable, so they aren’t really adding all that technology.”

Indeed, EV leader Tesla was ranked at number 19 out of 24. That was a jump of four places since last year’s rankings thanks to positive showings for the Model 3 with a reliability rating of 58 and Model S with 38, but the Model Y lagged with a reliability rating of only 25.

“Eventually we will get to the point where EVs are less trouble-prone than any other vehicles,” predicted Fisher.

Full-size pickup trucks may be among the best selling models but they were loaded down with a number of issues ranking them last with an average predicted reliablity score of just 30—six behind EVs.

Fisher cited two examples of very different issues reported by consumers. In the case of the Ford F-150, the hybrid version actually performed worse than the internal combustion model because, “it’s more of a new type of hybrid. The F-150 is not about getting the best fuel economy, it’s really about performance and added towing capacity.”

Overall, the Ford brand ranked 18^th.

Another problematic full-size pickup was the Chevrolet Silverado. Fisher pointed to comments by one owner who wrote, “Engine replacement at 307 miles. Full electronic failure at 400 miles. Alternator replacement at 500 miles. Infotainment replacement at 1,000 miles. Lifter replacements both sides at 10,000 miles. Any many other issues that continue on this 5.3 engine including a tapping noise sometimes.”

As a brand, Chevrolet dropped 10 places to 20.

Among all brands, the top four spots in the rankings were Toyota, Lexus, BMW and Mazda. The highest ranked domestic brands were Lincoln and Buick tied with 54 points, ranking 10 and 11 respectively. Lincoln’s ranking marked a 14 point jump since last year’s report, but Buick dropped seven places.

At the bottom of the rankings were Volkswagen, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz.

Fisher attributed Mercedes-Benz’s poor showing to the automaker concentrating on prioritizing technology to driving performance, noting, “Layering on a lot of technology isn’t necessarily the best way to go.”

The ten highest rated vehicles were: 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, 2023 Lexus GX, 2023 Mini Cooper, 2022 Toyota Prius, 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023 Toyota Corolla, 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, 2023 BMW 3 Series, 2022 Toyota Prius Prime.

To generate the rankings Consumer Reports asks its members to report problem with their vehicles over the last 12 months. This year’s rankings were based on data gathered on over 300,000 vehicles, from the 2000 to 2022 model years, with a few early-introduced 2023 model years. Among the 17 trouble areas were engine, transmission and in-car electronics.