17:14 09-12-2025

Used Tesla reliability falls behind, says Consumer Reports

Buying a used car is almost always a balancing act: the price is lower, but the risk of hidden headaches rises. Fresh data from Consumer Reports drives that point home. In its study of long-term reliability for used vehicles (covering brand models roughly 5–10 years old), Tesla sits at the very bottom: 26th out of 26 with a reliability score of just 31. There’s nowhere lower to fall, and the company’s neighbors in the basement are Jeep (32), Ram (35), and Chrysler (36).

Consumer Reports also points out that this time frame overlaps with the rapid ramp-up of Model 3 production, when Tesla expanded output under unconventional conditions. Measures taken in a crunch rarely leave durability and build consistency untouched, and on the used market that can show up as nagging issues and costly failures. The cause-and-effect here looks plausible.

There is, however, an important caveat when you look at today’s cars. CR notes that newer Teslas are now above average for reliability, and in predicted reliability rankings for new vehicles the brand holds a top ten spot. In other words, the concern isn’t about Tesla as a whole, but about specific years and generations.

For shoppers, the takeaway is straightforward: if you’re after a used Tesla, aim for later production runs, comb through the service history, and don’t skimp on a thorough pre-purchase inspection.