Consumer reports yanks tesla review due to bad reliability

This may be a case of consumer reports being blinded by the hype.
The tesla model s scored a 100 on their tests and they went as far as saying it was the best car they have ever tested. Well the cars reliability has crushed that 100 score amidst many quality problems.


"Consumer Reports surveyed 1,400 Model S owners “who chronicled an array of detailed and complicated maladies” with the drivetrain, power equipment, charging equipment and giant iPad-like center console. They also complained about body and sunroof squeaks, rattles and leaks."

"“As the older vehicles are getting up on miles we are seeing some where the electric motor needs to be replaced and the onboard charging system won’t charge the battery,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing. “On the newer vehicles we are seeing problems such as the sunroof not operating properly. Door handles continue to be an issue.”

This is my favorite line from the article.

"Adding insult to injury, it adds that "driving range drops considerably when it's cold outside." So just don't drive it when it's cold, then, right?"

So batteries don't work as efficiently in the cold? As an Indiana native that is no surprise to me.
It sound like tesla has a few kinks to work out.

www.zerohedge.com...


www.latimes.com...

a reply to: Bluntone22

However

The problems, reviewers said, were typically fixed at no cost to drivers under Tesla's four- to eight-year warranties. And surveyed Model S owners remained happy, even amid flaws: Almost every respondent said Tesla had been quick with responses and repairs, and 97 percent of those surveyed said they would buy the car again.

"Consumer Reports also found that customers rate Tesla service and loyalty as the best in the world," a Tesla spokesperson said. "Close communication with our customers enables Tesla to receive input, proactively address issues, and quickly fix problems. Over-the-air software updates allow Tesla to diagnose and fix most bugs without the need to come in for service. In instances when hardware needs to be fixed, we strive to make it painless."


www.washingtonpost.com... mentrandom_3_na

a reply to: ScepticScot


Yep, they get their $100k car fixed with a smile.

a reply to: Bluntone22

A lot of premium brands, particularly car marques, have suspect reliability records. People who can afford them continue to buy them because

A - They are cool, something Tesla has in abundance.
B- When they do work they work well, again a tick for Tesla.
C- They have customer service that treats them like someone who has just spent the price of a small house on a car. Three out of three for Tesla

If people want reliability they can buy a Honda.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Electric cars are the future. There is no reason to go any other direction with passenger vehicles.

Fuel Cells and/or continued use of fossil fuels in a hybrid system may come into play for commercial vehicles, but for smaller passenger vehicles we need to start the transition now. We have enough new and used cars sitting on car lots in the US that we don't need to build or import any non electric vehicles.

Building gas powered cars for the US market is simply a waste of time, effort and money. At some point the environment needs to more important than a corporate bottom line. And that point is now IMO.

a reply to: ScepticScot


I agree. Tesla owners are buying an ideal, not an idea.
Fashion statements are not reliable.

One major barrier to battery powered vehicles in Canada is poor discharge rates in cold temps..it get's cold here occasionaly
Strictly on the battery issue I wonder if a plug in warmer or block heater so to speak would work.

a reply to: Isurrender73

I agree, the only major issue I see with consumer electric vehicles having is recharge time. If they can work out a practical way of recharging an electric vehicle even almost as quickly as you can fill a car with petrol then there is no reason electric cars cant be the majority within a few yeas.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: ScepticScot


I agree. Tesla owners are buying an ideal, not an idea.
Fashion statements are not reliable.

True but I still really really want one.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Always the trouble with new tec.

Why I always wait for a few tec generation for it to mature.

originally posted by: ScepticScot
a reply to: Isurrender73

I agree, the only major issue I see with consumer electric vehicles having is recharge time. If they can work out a practical way of recharging an electric vehicle even almost as quickly as you can fill a car with petrol then there is no reason electric cars cant be the majority within a few yeas.

They just need to be built. I suggest we cut our military budget by a hundred billion dollars and transfer that money into environmental projects like this.

Superchargers are free connectors that charge Model S in minutes instead of hours. Stations are strategically placed to minimize stops during long distance travel and are conveniently located near restaurants, shopping centers, and WiFi hot spots. Each station contains multiple Superchargers to help you get back on the road quickly.
www.teslamotors.com...

Currently it's about 45 min to go from zero to full. With 300 mile range this shouldn't be an issue. The only problem is building enough of these.

Someday I imagine when you travel, you will find rest stops where every parking spot has an outlet. Instead of going to a gas station and a fast food joint or restaurant, the eateries will have outlets for every parking stall.

The more we build the better the tech will get. but I believe the tech is good enough now. With the right investment in research I dont think we are far off from 300 miles and a 15 minute charge.

a reply to: Isurrender73

I believe (happy to be corrected if otherwise) that the superchargers still take about 30 minutes to get about a 80% charge. This is really good compared to conventional charging but still at lot slower than filling up at a petrol station.

a reply to: crazyewok

I don't think much about problems with cutting edge tech. New barriers to break and whatnot. But if they can't make the door handles work and keep the sunroof from leaking it raises concerns about design and manufacturing.

oops,,, double post..

originally posted by: ScepticScot
a reply to: Isurrender73

I believe (happy to be corrected if otherwise) that the superchargers still take about 30 minutes to get about a 80% charge. This is really good compared to conventional charging but still at lot slower than filling up at a petrol station.

That is correct. How many times are you going to travel over 300 miles? Most charging will be done at home. And on long trips most of us are ready to stop for 30 minutes after 300 miles anyway.

I think once we reach a reliable 300 miles and 15 min charge we should begin a trade in program to get gas powered off the road completely.

A much better use of tax revenue.

a reply to: Isurrender73

True but only the Tesla currently gets even close to 300 miles and then only by adopting a driving miss daisy style. A brand new Nissan leaf will maybe get a 100.

Then there is the space requirement a small petrol station can process 100's of cars per hour. The equivalent space for charging stations might manage a dozen or so.

Then there is the fact that too many people are just too damn impatient.

Totally support electric cars and I am seriously considering one as a second car (sadly not a Tesla) but think there is still a while to go before they become the norm.

originally posted by: ScepticScot
If people want reliability they can buy a Honda.

Or a bicycle...reliable and MUCH better for your health and the environment

Plus, you can fix them yourself.

And they can beat a Ferrari!*



* this bike may not be better for your health, but dude has a titanium pair...

Consumer Reports...

I don't trust anyone that requires you to pay to see how they review something.
Sure, some people think they mean something, like the Better Business Bureau or Angie's List (who does the same pay to bitch and see reviews thing), but the internet is a wide open place with plenty of opinion and extensive review about anything under the sun...free of charge.

Angie's List already was busted for taking cash to promote businesses. Still people go there. Consumer Reports has always seemed even shadier.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

I love cycling but there is now way I would do it in big city. Cities in UK are just two badly designed for cyclist and you would be as well just handing your body in for organ donation now and save the ambulance crew the trouble of scraping you of the road.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Well, like with anything, location and environment dictates what's plausible.

You might say the same thing about New York City, yet many people bike there, too. But, if the design is anything like some of the German cities I was in when I lived there, I can see your point. At least in NY, there aren't cobblestone roads still (that I know of).