Consumer Reports: EVs are far less reliable than ICE

Electric vehicles are far less reliable than gasoline-powered vehicles, according to Consumer Reports, but most of their issues represent growing pains as auto makers launch models with new powertrains and the latest features that EV buyers expect.

EVs had 79 percent more problems than vehicles with internal combustion engines, according to Consumer Reports' 2023 auto reliability survey of 330,000 vehicles. Plug-in hybrids were twice as bad with 146 percent more flaws than gasoline vehicles. But hybrids scored best, with 26 percent fewer problems than gasoline-powered vehicles, Consumer Reports said Wednesday at an event with the Automotive Press Association.

New technology is more likely to spur problems, so as EVs enter the market, a low reliability score is unsurprising, Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, told Automotive News.

"The longer a vehicle or a technology is in production, the more the bugs are worked out," he said. "The automakers that have produced EVs earlier, they're improving the reliability."

Most EV owners are luxury or performance car buyers, or they are early adopters seeking the latest technology, which means EVs continue to be the test bed for that new technology, Fisher said.

The electric pickup segment, which includes only the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T, was the least reliable. Ford and other legacy automakers are facing challenges with charging and batteries, while new automakers, such as Rivian and Tesla, are coping with manufacturing issues related to body hardware, paint and trim and climate systems, according to the survey.

Car buyers should consider EVs that have been in the market for a while if reliability is a concern, Fisher said.

"If you're interested in Tesla, you might want to get a Tesla Model 3 as opposed to ordering a Cybertruck because the Cybertruck is likely to have many growing pains right when it hits the market," he said. "The ones that have been around for a while are going to be better."

The Ford Mustang Mach E is another EV that has seen steady reliability improvement with age, according to the study.

Consumer Reports' survey focused solely on the vehicle, rather than the public charging experience, which has also faced reliability setbacks.

Hybrids had the fewest issues in part because the technology has been available for decades, and hybrids are popular among pragmatic shoppers who don't care about the latest technology, Fisher said. Honda and Toyota, two of the leading hybrid makers, have been slower with EV launches than rivals and are often conservative with new technology, Fisher said.

"When it comes to reliability, the slow and steady are winning the race," Fisher said. "The manufacturers that are … making quick moves, those are the ones struggling with some of the new technology."

The Toyota Camry and Highlander hybrids were among the most reliable vehicles in the survey. But plug-in hybrids were far less reliable than any other type of vehicle. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid sunk Chrysler to last place in the 30-brand reliability ranking, Fisher said.

Plug-in hybrids combine internal-combustion engines with an electric motor. The added complexity means more tends to go wrong, Consumer Reports said.

Asian auto brands consistently earn the highest reliability scores, with Lexus and Toyota taking the lead this year. Five other Japanese or Korean brands made the top 10. Buick is the only domestic brand to land in the top half of the ranking, at No. 12.

Asian brands tend to build the most reliable vehicles because they don't jump on new technology trends as quickly as domestic brands, Fisher said. Domestics Ford Motor Co. and General Motors have largely abandoned small and midsize vehicles, segments that are among the most reliable.