Tesla is the most unreliable used car brand in America, even behind Jeep and Chrysler

[DragonSlayer101]

The big picture: Tesla has been at the forefront of the EV revolution, delivering blazing performance, advanced driver-assistance features, and an extensive Supercharger network. However, a new survey reveals that Teslas may not be the most reliable vehicles on the market and might fall short in terms of overall ownership experience.

According to Consumer Reports' 2025 used vehicle reliability study, Tesla is the most unreliable used car brand in the US. It placed last among 26 automotive brands with a reliability ranking of 31 – below Jeep (32), Ram (35), and Chrysler (36). The study evaluated the reliability of 5- to 10-year-old models on the second-hand market.

While the results may seem like a damning indictment of Tesla, the report notes that the company has improved the build quality of its vehicles. All of its latest models now offer "better-than-average reliability," and Tesla ranks among the top 10 brands in Consumer Reports' new car predictability rankings, surpassing established automakers like Ford, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Volkswagen.

While newer Teslas are more reliable than older models, the company has issued several recalls across most of its lineup, including the flagship Model S and the all-new Cybertruck. Earlier this year, Tesla recalled more than 46,000 Cybertrucks to fix an exterior panel that wasn't properly secured and could detach while driving.

In January, the company recalled over 200,000 vehicles due to a software glitch affecting rearview cameras. In recent years, Tesla has recalled millions of cars for issues ranging from autopilot bugs, brake fluid detection problems, and faulty seat-belt warning systems, to malfunctioning touchscreens and power steering failures.

Used Tesla prices have fallen sharply since the pandemic years, when federal tax credits helped fuel demand for EVs in the US. Since those credits were rolled back under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, demand has softened, with consumers increasingly opting for traditional internal combustion vehicles or plug-in hybrids.

Tesla is also facing growing competition from Chinese brands like BYD, which are flooding the market with feature-rich EVs at low prices. Analysts have compared the current situation to the US automotive scene in the 1970s, when Japanese companies such as Toyota and Honda captured significant market share from the Big Three by offering affordable, fuel-efficient cars.

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Tesla is the most unreliable used car brand in America, even behind Jeep and Chrysler

 

[PXAbstraction]

When you're reliability is even worse than the legendary janktastic US domestic brands, oof.

 

[sreams]

"In January, the company recalled over 200,000 vehicles due to a software glitch affecting rearview cameras."

It should be pointed out that recalls like this are rarely even noticed by owners. They are fixed in software and an update is pushed to the car. The vast majority of Tesla "recalls" are exactly this.

 

[Dr Roboto]

I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you. Musk told us that things are going great. I mean, why would he lie to us. /s

I know that Musk has the "star power" the board thinks they still need. But is this guy really worth it? How about a real CEO that puts Tesla back on top. Tesla was very innovative, and I would credit them with making BEV a realizable option for many and forcing the other car makers into the market. Unfortunately, it went to Elon's head and now the company is doomed. One of these days the shareholders are going to figure it out, and pop goes the bubble and hopefully Musk along with it.

 

[adaplect]

Meanwhile the CEO of the company is spending ALL his time hateposting about the EU

 

[brucek]

IIRC, Consumer Reports gave those older Teslas glowing reviews at the time. Fair enough that you can only work with the data you have, but a good reminder that sometimes it pays to insist on that data.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you. Musk told us that things are going great. I mean, why would he lie to us. /s

I know that Musk has the "star power" the board thinks they still need. But is this guy really worth it? How about a real CEO that puts Tesla back on top. Tesla was very innovative, and I would credit them with making BEV a realizable option for many and forcing the other car makers into the market. Unfortunately, it went to Elon's head and now the company is doomed. One of these days the shareholders are going to figure it out, and pop goes the bubble and hopefully Musk along with it.

Tesla is also the newest car company in the list lol. It's not surprising that a car made by a new brand in the first 10 years would have bad reliability (2016-2021 models). This is old news. Here is the new car reliability list also from CR where Tesla is in the top 10. Notice how Rivian was added to the list and is placed dead last:


Furthermore, if you want to look at what's typically more relevant to people, maintenance + repair costs (TCO) would include any reliability issues and Tesla is basically at the top there (the main cost drivers are probably tires and repairs):

 

[TheBigT42]

It didn't say what components were unreliable

 

[Skully]

Tesla is also the newest car company in the list lol. It's not surprising that a car made by a new brand in the first 10 years would have bad reliability (2016-2021 models). This is old news. Here is the new car reliability list also from CR where Tesla is in the top 10. Notice how Rivian was added to the list and is placed dead last:


Furthermore, if you want to look at what's typically more relevant to people, maintenance + repair costs (TCO) would include any reliability issues and Tesla is basically at the top there (the main cost drivers are probably tires and repairs):

Sorry, you're wasting your breath. This site is Ground Zero for Musk and Tesla bashing, either get onboard or prepare to be called a MAGA dirtbag. - There is no middle ground here.

 

[Hexic]

Sorry, you're wasting your breath. This site is Ground Zero for Musk and Tesla bashing, either get onboard or prepare to be called a MAGA dirtbag. - There is no middle ground here.

Knock it off with logic, that’s almost as scary as the orange man or Musk himself!

 

[Str8Shot]

Electric-anything these days is as good as a disposable Kodak camera. Utter junk with a nonexistent resale value.

 

[letsgoiowa]

When you're reliability is even worse than the legendary janktastic US domestic brands, oof.

The old ones yes. But what's really sad is the new ones are actually the most reliable of the US brands. That's just hilarious.

 

[SRB]

Consumer Reports has it's share of issued. When Toyota when through one recall after another about 5-6 years ago, the comment was made that they "had to start testing them again". And Mini...a niche brand, I admit, hit the bottom of the JD Powers survey. The Hummer was also a failure on the new care survey for "poor fuel economy". Really? People didn't see that coming before they by it.

It seams confirmation bias isn't limited to people who look for reviews to justify their purchase.

Besides, the ealy Teslas were in the same boat. The body panel alignment was miserable on the first models, somehow, no one complained at the time.

 

[OortCloud]

The sooner Tesla's stock tanks, the better for the human race. Sh1t cars from a company run by a megalomaniacal, deranged, far-right, fascist lunatic who uses his perceived wealth to do untold damage to countries around the world. To be even more unreliable than the worst barn-door-engineered sh1tboxes is pretty damning.

 

[Megalomaniac]

If the CEO spent as much time improving the vehicles as he does spreading racism and hate, maybe the cars would be better. I was on the fence about Used Teslas. Now I'm a definite "NO BUY".

 

[p51d007]

What's sad is the AMERICAN car brands are all dead last. I read another report on a site that showed the amount of U.S. based/produced car parts used in cars sold in America. Honda & Toyota ranked ABOVE the U.S. brands.
I've driven Ford's all my life. My dad was a car salesman for over 33 years. Mustang's have always been my favorite (even the pathetic Mustang II). But when my 5th Mustang finally gives out, I'll probably go with Toyota. We have several work vehicles that are Toyota and they EASILY go over 300,000 miles before we get rid of them.
Ford, Chevy & Chrysler should just close up shop and be gone. Sad, but all they know how to build are SUV's, huge trucks and they all are terrible!

 

[Vanderlinde]

"In January, the company recalled over 200,000 vehicles due to a software glitch affecting rearview cameras."

It should be pointed out that recalls like this are rarely even noticed by owners. They are fixed in software and an update is pushed to the car. The vast majority of Tesla "recalls" are exactly this.

Yep ; and usually is fixed in future revisions of the same or newer brands.

Every car makes needs expertise to build on.

 

[daffy duck]

Sorry, you're wasting your breath. This site is Ground Zero for Musk and Tesla bashing, either get onboard or prepare to be called a MAGA dirtbag. - There is no middle ground here.

This site is full of MAGA dirtbags that hijack every article on climate or such. At times it's apathetic as wccftech

 

[redgarl]

Recalls have nothing to do with reliability. Toyota is know to withhold doing recalls until they are forced to do so. Not to mention their turbo and GR models have some major issues which doesn't bode well for the upcoming GR GT.

 

[pcnthuziast]

Make automobiles gas again.

 

[Hexic]

What's sad is the AMERICAN car brands are all dead last. I read another report on a site that showed the amount of U.S. based/produced car parts used in cars sold in America. Honda & Toyota ranked ABOVE the U.S. brands.
I've driven Ford's all my life. My dad was a car salesman for over 33 years. Mustang's have always been my favorite (even the pathetic Mustang II). But when my 5th Mustang finally gives out, I'll probably go with Toyota. We have several work vehicles that are Toyota and they EASILY go over 300,000 miles before we get rid of them.
Ford, Chevy & Chrysler should just close up shop and be gone. Sad, but all they know how to build are SUV's, huge trucks and they all are terrible!

It’s a sad state of affairs - I’d love to buy American vehicles, but until they get their stuff together, I’m happy to support Honda or Toyota.

 

[AnilD]

What stands out most is how quickly the competitive landscape is changing. Five years ago Tesla barely had rivals; now BYD and other Chinese brands are basically doing to EVs what Honda and Toyota did to gas cars in the 70s. Innovation is great, but sustained quality and price stability might end up being the real deciding factors.

 

[sreams]

What stands out most is how quickly the competitive landscape is changing. Five years ago Tesla barely had rivals; now BYD and other Chinese brands are basically doing to EVs what Honda and Toyota did to gas cars in the 70s. Innovation is great, but sustained quality and price stability might end up being the real deciding factors.

BYD and the other Chinese brands are not present in many of Tesla's markets.

 

[Axeia]

What stands out most is how quickly the competitive landscape is changing. Five years ago Tesla barely had rivals; now BYD and other Chinese brands are basically doing to EVs what Honda and Toyota did to gas cars in the 70s. Innovation is great, but sustained quality and price stability might end up being the real deciding factors.

That's what you have tariffs for, to protect the domestic market.
Or err whatever the heck they're used for at the moment, but just put more tariffs on foreign car imports and the US market will be saved, just not safe going by the uhh 'quality' of American brands (which will fall hard once they don't have foreign competition - just see the truck market).

 

[Liranan]

What stands out most is how quickly the competitive landscape is changing. Five years ago Tesla barely had rivals; now BYD and other Chinese brands are basically doing to EVs what Honda and Toyota did to gas cars in the 70s. Innovation is great, but sustained quality and price stability might end up being the real deciding factors.

They are all equally likely to barbecue you.