Consumer Reports Ranked Tesla As The Least Reliable Used Car Brand Long Term - Here's Why

At the end of each year, Consumer Reports ranks automotive brands on several factors, with one of the parameters being reliability. Simply put, the most reliable brands are ranked higher and the least reliable lower. The focus, as the report explains, is on five-to-ten-year-old models, and they make the argument that buying older used cars in that range with good reliability offers the most value, in the wake of rising costs, tariffs, and other challenges. That makes sense. But also in the report, Tesla ranks dead last at spot number 26, with an alarmingly low reliability score of 31, one point less than Jeep, and a few less than Ram.

This report specifically considers used or pre-owned models, and in Tesla's case, the cars factored into the score include the Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Model Y. How is this score pertinent? Isn't Tesla improving its reliability across the board, earning the ninth spot in the list of most reliable new cars? Yes, but as confusing as it can be, both of these instances are true. The dead last ranking is in a report about used cars from five-to-ten years ago, a time when the company was facing many troubles with its new inventory. As new models were being developed and production ramped up, reliability suffered. The 2016 Tesla Model X is notoriously problematic. But this pattern is true of all new EVs, which have about 80 percent more problems than gas-only cars on average.

Tesla has made some notable strides since then. The Tesla Cybertruck's current reliability situation is a perfect example. The vehicle is still new, the technology is still new, and although Tesla has long been working with EV models, it's still going to take time to iron out the kinks in later generation releases.

Consumer Reports honed in on 2016 to 2021 model years for this survey, which included over 140,000 vehicles. Most of the information came from owners about how their experience was during the year prior, factoring in problems they encountered with 20 trouble areas including brakes, transmission, EV batteries, and beyond. 

Going by the new car reliability report, it would stand to reason that Tesla models released after 2021, especially those that have been on the market longer with more iterations, are much more reliable. The exception, of course, being brand new options like the Tesla Cybertruck. For new models, not used, Tesla had one of the biggest improvements to last year's reliability ratings. The brand moved up eight spots, landing at rank nine, mostly beaten by brands well-known for their reliability like Buick, Lexus, Subaru, Toyota, and Honda. That report also noted the most reliable Tesla for the year was the Model Y, which has been on the market since 2020, and the least reliable as the Cybertruck.

Tesla has made operational changes, too. The Model X and S were discontinued in Europe, for example, despite seeing upgrades back in the U.S. market. The long-rumored $25,000 Tesla, a low-cost Model 2, has seen an off-again, on-again routine, now possibly split into two simplified models versus one. What we can learn from Consumer Reports, however, is that it might be wise to avoid brand new models that come to market, at least for a couple of years, until they've had some of their problems addressed.