Tesla’s reliability has come under scrutiny after the US publication Consumer Reports removed their recommendation of the Tesla Model S, downgrading its reliability to ‘worse-than-average’.
This caused the US electric car firm’s share price to fall by nearly 10 per cent, the lowest it has been in nearly six months. Although it did subsiquently recover some of those losses.
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The news comes just months after the Tesla's Model S P85D performance saloon broke the Consumer Reports' 100-point car rating system for the first time following an influx of overly positive user reports.
It now appears everyday problems that haunt most other manufacturers such as rattles, sunroof squeals and leaks, and even power train issues have finally found their way to the garages of Tesla owners.
Owners are also reporting issues with Tesla’s own charging equipment and the giant iPad-like centre console. The stamp of approval from consumer sites has played a important role in Tesla’s marketing campaign in promoting the infant battery technology for the £55,000 saloons.
Tesla has previously issued a recall on Tesla Model S models to reinforce the left hand latch of the second row seats. However, the company has been praised for its use of over-the-air updates and upgrades to its software systems, meaning owners do not have to bring in their car for service updates but can download them wirelessly to the car.
Time will tell whether Tesla’s new SUV Model X will experience a similar rollercoaster of reliability reviews but Tesla's status as the car brand that can do no wrong in the eyes of its customers seems to have been tarnished for the first time.
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