Just a few weeks after Consumer Reports published a report claiming that Tesla’s Model 3 is the “most satisfying” car to own, Tesla’s mass market EV somewhat abruptly lost its ‘buy’ recommendation from the publication, according to a report published earlier today. Citing “reliability issues,” Consumer Reports relays that it found a number of problems pertaining to hardware along with fit and finish issues.
The report specifically cites issues with the vehicle’s touchscreen dashboard being prone to freezing, along with consumer complaints involving suspension, cracked glass, and paint issues.
Commenting on the matter, Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of auto testing, said the following:
While Teslas perform well in Consumer Reports’ road tests and have excellent owner satisfaction, their reliability has not been consistent, according to our members, which has resulted in changes to their recommended status.
It’s worth noting that Consumer Reports often pulls recommendations based on issues that have long since been corrected, a dynamic which Tesla, via a statement from a company spokesperson, claims is happening here.
“The vast majority of these issues have already been corrected through design and manufacturing improvements,” a Tesla spokesperson said, “and we are already seeing a significant improvement in our field data We take feedback from our customers very seriously and quickly implement improvements any time we hear about issues.”
Given the somewhat back-and-forth relationship Consumer Reports tends to have with Tesla, it wouldn’t be shocking in the slightest to see the Model 3 get back its ‘buy’ recommendation over the next few months.
Reliability aside, the Model 3 is seemingly a huge hit with owners, as evidenced by the fact that it was the “most satisfying” car to own in 2018, edging out strong competition from the likes of Porsche and other luxury automakers.
