Consumer Reports is no longer recommending the Tesla Model 3 after receiving a large number of complaints from its members about the electric sedan’s reliability.
Issues reported by a group of over 500 Model 3 owners included problems with paint and trim quality, faulty infotainment system displays and glass defects. Consumer Reports said that the car it purchased for testing exhibited the last of those when a crack appeared in its rear window.
The downgrade comes less than a month after Consumer Reports members named the Model 3 the most satisfying car to own.
TESLA MODEL 3 PRICE CUT AGAIN, NOW STARTS AT $42,900
“In most cases, reliability issues will undermine satisfaction,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. “But when a vehicle has an enthusiastic following, like with Tesla, owners may overlook some issues. We’ve seen this with other vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Corvette.”
In response to the report, a Tesla spokesperson told Consumer Reports that “the vast majority of these issues have already been corrected through design and manufacturing improvements, 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.”
Along with the Model 3, Consumer Report also does not recommend Tesla’s Model S or Model X, due in part to reliability issues.