EVs Have Nearly 80% More Problems Than Gas-Engine Vehicles: Consumer Reports

Electric vehicles have nearly 80% more problems and are largely more unreliable than traditional gas-powered cars or hybrid vehicles, according to Consumer Report's annual car reliability survey.

The nonprofit sent surveys to its members asking about any problems they've had with their vehicles over the last 12 months, gathering data on over 330,000 vehicles between the 2000 and 2023 model years and a few reports covering new 2024 models. The surveys cover 20 potential problem areas — although not all apply to every vehicle — including engine, transmission, leaks, infotainment systems and EV charging.

Electric cars and SUVs, on average, scored 44 and 43 out of 100, respectively, on CR's reliability scale, with the nonprofit noting consistent issues with EV drive system motors, charging systems and batteries. Electric pickup trucks scored even lower, with an average score of 30.

"Most electric cars today are being manufactured by either legacy automakers that are new to EV technology, or by companies like Rivian that are new to making cars,” Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at CR, said. "It's a story of just working out the bugs and the kinks of new technology."

Although the firm was unable to gather enough data to rank some notable EV companies, such as Lucid and Polestar, it did rank rivals Tesla and Rivian. In total, CR ranked 30 automakers based on the reliability of their vehicles.

Tesla, which is set to begin deliveries of its long-awaited electric pickup Thursday afternoon, was ranked at 14 with a reliability score of 48 out of 100. Rivian, best known for its RIT electric pickup, placed at 28 with a reliability score of 24.

Plug-in hybrids, overall, have 146% more problems than traditional internal-combustion engine models, with several — such as the Audi Q5 and Chrysler Pacifica — rated as less reliable than their conventional counterparts. However, the Toyota RAV4Prime and Kia Sportage scored "well above average," according to Consumer Reports.

“PHEVs are sort of like an EV and a conventional car rolled into one, so by their nature they have more things that can go wrong with them,” Fisher said. 

On the other hand, hybrids — despite having both an electric motor and conventional powertrain and thus more room for issues — have 26% fewer problems than traditional vehicles. Sales of hybrids — a go-to choice for customers unwilling to fully buy into EVs — are expected to climb by 35% in 2023, according to data analysis and consulting firm GlobalData.

“Automakers have been making hybrids long enough that they’ve gotten really good at it," Steven Elek, who leads CR's auto data analytics program, said. "Plus, many hybrids are also made by manufacturers that tend to produce reliable vehicles overall, such as Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia.”

Toyota, which pioneered the hybrid vehicle in the 1990s, was ranked second for reliability, while Kia and Hyundai — both under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella — took the 10th and 11th slots, CR found. Lexus landed in the top spot, while Chrysler — now owned by Stellantis — was named the least reliable brand.