Technological Hurdles: Electric Vehicles Catching Up, but Combustion Engines Remain the Leaders

The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids shows promising progress but still lags behind traditional gasoline vehicles. This is revealed by a recently published survey from a respected American non-profit organization. According to the annual auto reliability survey by Consumer Reports, electric cars now have 42% more problems than their gasoline-powered counterparts, which is an improvement over the 79% from the previous year. Plug-in hybrids reported 70% more issues than combustion engine vehicles, which is also a positive development compared to 146% from the previous year. Despite these advances, combustion engine vehicles and hybrids remain the most reliable vehicle types overall. In the brand comparison, which considers the weighted overall problem rate, Tesla achieved 17th place, while Rivian ranked last at 22nd. Tesla owners reported quality issues, including body parts, paint and trim, noises and leaks, as well as problems with electrical accessories. Legacy manufacturer Ford reached 13th place in the brand ranking, with the F-150 Hybrid model named the least reliable. At the top of the reliability table are Japanese automakers Subaru and Toyota's luxury brand Lexus. Jake Fisher, Senior Director of the Auto Test Center at Consumer Reports, emphasized: "While brand rankings provide a guideline for showroom visits, it is crucial to consider the reliability of specific models before purchase." The Consumer Reports survey covers 20 problem areas, including engine, electric motors, transmission, and in-car electronics. The organization collected data from more than 330,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2024, including some newly introduced 2025 models.