9 Electric Cars Rated Poorly by Consumer Reports

9 electric car deliver the quality and reliability buyers expect. According to Consumer Reports, these nine electric vehicles fall short in areas like build quality, range consistency, software reliability, and overall satisfaction. If you’re planning to buy an EV soon, these are the models worth avoiding.

Tesla Cybertruck

Okay so the Cybertruck, man… where do I even start with this thing. Like, it was supposed to be this revolutionary sci-fi truck at around $50,000 originally, but ended up costing closer to like $80,000 to $100,000 depending on the trim, which is… yeah. Consumer Reports straight-up refused to recommend it in early 2024 because of so many issues like the doors don’t always work properly, the screen-dependent cabin is glitchy as hell, visibility is terrible, and honestly the whole interface is just confusing. I mean, even the range was underwhelming especially in cold weather, and if you’re towing something? Forget about it. Some owners love it, sure, but the reliability problems and recalls are kinda hard to ignore.

Volkswagen ID.4

Honestly, I thought the ID.4 would be a solid choice, you know? It’s spacious, quiet, and pretty powerful. But here’s the thing the multimedia system is like… painfully slow to respond, and you need multiple steps just to do simple tasks which gets annoying real quick. The range is kinda modest too, nothing spectacular. And here’s what really hurts: reliability and owner satisfaction are both below average according to Consumer Reports. The ID.4 starts around $40,000 to $50,000 I think, so it’s not cheap either. Consumer Reports actually suggests getting a Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y instead if you’re looking at two-row SUVs in this range.

Hyundai Kona Electric

So this one’s tricky because… I mean, the Kona Electric used to be pretty popular, right? But it had some serious battery fire issues and like global recalls which is… yeah, that’s pretty concerning. The fires happened because of battery problems, and honestly when you hear “battery fire” with an EV, that’s just scary. But with those safety recalls and reliability concerns, Consumer Reports basically said nah, avoid this one.

Subaru Solterra

Okay so the Solterra… hmm, this was Subaru’s big EV launch and it just didn’t go well. Like, it was plagued by recalls right from the start, and the range is honestly pretty low compared to competitors. I think it starts around $45,000 or so? And for that price you’d expect better range and fewer problems. The whole launch was just kinda messy, and Consumer Reports wasn’t impressed at all. It’s a shame because Subaru usually makes reliable cars, but the Solterra just… didn’t deliver, you know?

Ford F-150 Lightning

This one’s interesting because everyone was so hyped about an electric F-150, right? I mean, it’s the F-150! But the Lightning has range issues, especially when you’re actually using it like a truck towing just destroys the range. There were also production delays and just general reliability concerns. Consumer Reports pointed out that if you’re planning to tow regularly, this might not be the best choice because the range drops so dramatically.

Audi e-Tron / Q8 e-Tron

So the e-Tron is like this luxury EV SUV that should be amazing, right? But here’s the problem the resale value is terrible, like bargain-bin bad. And Consumer Reports also mentioned reliability problems with it. So you’re spending all this money on a luxury EV and then it just depreciates like crazy and has reliability issues? That’s not a great combo honestly. BMW iX was suggested as a better alternative if you want a luxury electric SUV.

Porsche Taycan

Okay this one hurts because the Taycan is gorgeous and it’s a Porsche, you know? Like, for that kind of money you’d expect German engineering perfection, but apparently the reliability scores are just not good. I mean, it’s fast and beautiful and handles amazingly I’m sure, but if it’s constantly having issues? That’s a problem when you’re dropping six figures on a car.

Tesla Model X

So the Model X… man, those falcon wing doors look cool but they’re apparently glitchy and problematic. Consumer Reports gave it bad reliability scores and mentioned constant recalls. And honestly, for that price and all the technology Tesla puts in these cars, you’d think the reliability would be better? But apparently the doors malfunction, there are issues with steering, suspension, paint, trim, climate system… it’s a lot.

Nissan Ariya

Okay so the Ariya is Nissan’s newer EV SUV, and on paper it seems decent, right? I think it’s priced around $40,000 to $55,000 or so. But here’s the thing the range is documented at like 304 miles, but real-world drivers are losing 20% or more especially in cold weather. The charging system underperforms too, only hitting 130 kilowatts before dropping off sharply. There were also recalls related to missing or incorrectly fitted bolts, which damaged customer confidence. And some owners reported issues with electronics, Bluetooth, haptic controls not working… it’s just a lot of little annoying things that add up.