Tesla performs poorly in JD Power dependability survey

Tesla quality has again been called into question with a poor result in the 2021 JD Power Dependability Survey.

While not officially ranked among the 33 brands listed in the 2021 US Vehicle Dependability Study, Tesla was “profiled” and given a score of 176 problems for every 100 vehicles sold.

That places the electric car pioneer well below the industry average of 121 problems per 100 cars.

The only brands that performed worse than Tesla were Jaguar (186), Alfa Romeo (196) and Land Rover (244).

In announcing the results, the authoritative American data analyst company and quality authority said Tesla was “not officially ranked among other brands in the study because it doesn’t meet the ranking criteria”.

However, Tesla was given the sub-standard score of 176. It comes off the back of Tesla ranking last in JD Power’s 2020 Initial Quality Study.

The company says Tesla doesn’t allow JD Power to survey owners in 15 US states but that “Tesla’s score was calculated based on a robust sample of surveys from owners in the other 35 states”.

The 2021 Dependability Study – see the official press release here – surveyed 33,251 original owners of 2018 model-year cars after three years of ownership.

That means the Tesla result would have included the top-selling Model 3, which went on sale in American in 2017.

Even Tesla boss Elon Musk recently acknowledged Tesla quality was sometimes below expectations.

Not that most owners seem to be fazed by the prospect of poor fit and finish, some arguing Tesla addresses the issues quickly and others suggesting the innovations in a Tesla far outweigh those negatives.

The poor Tesla result comes as the company has begun importing its popular Model 3 from China instead of the United States. Some are expecting the quality of the updated Model 3 from China to be superior to those built in Tesla’s Fremont factory in California.

It also comes as Tesla looks to make some radical changes to its Model S and Model X, each of which will get a yoke steering wheel in 2022 and do without a gear selector.

The top three brands in the 2021 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study were Lexus (81 problems per 100 vehicles), Porsche (86) and Kia (97).

It is the first time Korean car maker Kia has overtaken Japanese brand Toyota, which has long prided itself on high quality and reliability.

Big brands such as Mercedes-Benz (122 problems per 100 vehicles), Audi (127) and Volkswagen (163) slipped below the industry average.

JD Power said cars were generally improving in quality and dependability.

“Today’s three-year-old vehicles are of higher quality and more dependable than in previous years,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at JD Power.

However, Sargent singled out more advanced technology as an increasing source of issues for new cars.

“Most owners aren’t experiencing their vehicles breaking down or falling apart but, for many, vehicle technology continues to function poorly or inconsistently. If an owner can’t rely on a system to work as they expect, it is also considered a lack of dependability. It affects their overall view of the vehicle and their likelihood of staying loyal to their automaker. In the future, dependability will partially be determined by the ability to solve problems through vehicle updates and the avoidance of technology obsolescence.”

While many vehicles in the JD Power study conducted in America are sold in Australia, some are sourced from different factories to those imported here.

JD Power 2021 US Vehicle Dependability Study

Brand	Problems per 100 vehicles
Lexus	81
Porsche	86
Kia	97
Toyota	98
Buick	100
Cadillac	100
Hyundai	101
Genesis	102
Lincoln	106
Acura	108
BMW	108
Chevrolet	115
Mitsubishi	116
Mazda	121
Industry average	121
Mercedes-Benz	122
Ram	123
Dodge	125
Mini	125
Subaru	125
Audi	127
Nissan	128
Ford	130
Infiniti	137
Jeep	141
GMC	143
Volvo	143
Honda	145
Volkswagen	163
Chrysler	166
Tesla	176*
Jaguar	186
Alfa Romeo	196
Land Rover	244