Tesla faced serious problems on Consumer Reports’ 2016 Annual Auto Reliability Survey. The group once applauded Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) for being so good that it broke their rating system by scoring 103 out of 100 points. Now, it seems like there has been a shift which led to Tesla losing their votes.
Out of the 29 car brands that were tested for this year’s survey, Tesla disappointingly ranked 25th and almost hit the bottom. This decision was heavily affected by Tesla’s Model X crossover – famous for its falcon-wing doors.
In a note that was released by Consumer Reports, they said that the Tesla Model X faced a lot of problems. This included periodic malfunctions of their falcon-wing doors. The car model also had problems with regards to climate control system, water leaks, and infotainment.
Jake Fisher, Director of Consumer Reports Automotive Testing said that the Model X is “very problematic.”
“A lot of the problems have to do with the complex doors. The falcon-wing doors are kind of an accident waiting to happen,” Fisher stated.
With this downfall, Tesla did manage to recover with its Model S which seems to have earned a bright spot in the recent testing. The Model S has improved in ratings for this year with Consumer Reports even urging people to get the car.
The S Model received an “average” rating but it’s still considered an impressive victory. It was given high scores when it came to road tests and performance.
“When you have automakers such as Fiat Chrysler unable to make very conventional cars reliable, the fact the Model S is average is a very impressive feat,” Fisher added.
Although Tesla started a little later than most established car companies, it is working competitively in the market. Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors recently announced what they have up their sleeves.
The company stated last week that future Model X and Model S cars will have self-driving features. Musk added that all electric cars to be rolled out in the future will come with necessary hardware which will give them full self-driving capabilities.
They did warn customers who are planning to get their self-driving car models about one thing. Tesla prohibits the use of their luxury electric cars for ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft. The company’s ride-sharing decision came after they announced their plans on entering the ride-sharing business.
Tesla’s decision doesn’t come as a surprise since many car companies have already shown their interest in grabbing market share in the booming mobility service.
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