Quality

  • 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

    It's every electric car owner's nightmare: the car indicates that remaining range has suddenly plummeted to zero, the battery pack stops providing current, and the car won't run. For some 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV drivers, that scenario has happened in real life. The problem has resulted in a program under which Chevy will replace the entire battery pack in a small number of Bolt EVs. According to a recall notice issued by Chevrolet on April 3, certain early-production cars "may have a condition where the calibration will not detect the difference in the state of charge between the cell groups...

  • 2018 Tesla Model 3
    Some Tesla Model 3 cars haunted by "phantom touch" and "vampire draw" (updated)

    At this point, the variable build quality of early Tesla Model 3 electric cars has been well documented. One of the main issues is the "phantom touch" on the car's all-important central display. The phantom touch is what Green Car Reports reader Jeff Southern of Atlanta suffered in his car before...

  • 2018 Tesla Model 3
    Tesla employees say Model 3 parts need substantial rework after production

    Electric-car maker Tesla is known for troubled launches, at least for the four products it's offered since the first Roadster in 2008. But the launch of the Tesla Model 3, its lower-priced electric sedan, may be the most challenging yet—and it may be the Tesla with the highest expectations...

  • 2017 Tesla Model 3 "first production" car, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017
    Tesla Model 3 quality is terrible, but will it matter to buyers?

    So we've finally had the chance to spend time with a 2018 Tesla Model 3, courtesy of a generous and devoted Green Car Reports reader. We'll have our first-drive report and a full review of the car within a day or two—but that's not what this article is about. The build quality of the early...

  • 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016
    2017 Chevy Bolt EV battery may fail due to faulty cell; new pack needed for a few GM electric cars (updated)

    General Motors has informed "a few hundred" owners of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars that their cars could suffer from a problem with the lithium-ion battery pack that could cause it to fail without warning. The cars were among the very earliest Bolt EVs produced for public sale, so are...

  • 2013 Tesla Model S owned by David Noland, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2015
    Tesla Freakonomics: Why Fans Should Hope Early Drivetrain Data Was Correct

    Our recent article on the reliability implications of a Plug-In America survey of early Tesla Model S owners was met with skepticism from the company's supporters, and support from its skeptics. But in a counter-intuitive Freakonomics-style twist, it's the firm's fans who should hope the results...

  • 2014 Tesla Model S

    The Tesla Model S tops the Consumer Reports customer satisfaction rankings for the second year in a row.

  • 2014 Tesla Model S
    Tesla Model S Drive-Unit Replacements: How Big A Problem?

    It was a car company's worst public-relations nightmare. Edmunds.com, the widely-read automotive website, bought a Tesla Model S for long-term testing in February 2013. After nine months and 11,000 miles, the car developed an ominous grinding noise under acceleration and deceleration. Under...

  • 2013 Tesla Model S
    Tesla Model S Earns Top Score In The Industry For Total Quality

    Owners of the Tesla Model S tend to be very satisfied with their cars. You might already know that; but so far, that's largely been anecdotal, based on reports in various ownership profiles, comments, and forums. Now all this owner 'love'—and the lack of problems—is starting to be...

  • 2013 Tesla Model S
    Tesla Model S: Glitches, Quirks, and Peccadilloes Roundup

    To put it mildly, the Tesla Model S has been a resounding success. The New York Times has called the all-electric luxury sport sedan a game-changer, comparable to the Model T Ford. It's won virtually every 2012 "Car of the Year" honor, including the only unanimous Motor Trend award in the...

  • Fisker quality measures  -  from New York Auto Show presentation
    Fisker Emphasizes Its Focus On Product Quality

    Fisker wants critics to know that it takes quality seriously, and that the automaker is making an effort to offer superior customer service.

  • 2012 Fisker Karma outside Tesla Motors dealership during test drive, Los Angeles, Feb 2012
    Dead Fisker Karmas: One May Be A Fluke, But Is Two A Trend?

    First off, just to be clear, the photo above is NOT a dead Fisker. It shows the 2012 Fisker Karma we road-tested three weeks ago parked at a Tesla Motors dealer in Los Angeles. But while our Fisker was running fine that day, Consumer Reports was not so lucky this week. The magazine bought a Fisker...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf

    In 2011 a crack task force was sent to the United States by a Japanese manufacturer for a car that's making headlines. These men were promptly trained to be experts in their field. Today, wanted by thousands of owners, they survive as a rapid response unit. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire The N-Team. ...cue the music. We suspect that if you were to call out Nissan's new rapid-response task force to fix a problem with your new LEAF electric car their entrance probably wouldn't be anything like as dramatic as everyone's favourite...

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