Tesla and Nissan currently top Consumer Reports' rankings for most-reliable EVs, although survey data still indicates EVs generally have more problems than other vehicle types.
The Tesla Model 3 is now the second most reliable new EV available, according to CR. It was topped only by the Kia EV6, but because the Kia was new for the 2022 model year, it's too early to tell if it will match the Model 3's reliability score over the long term, CR noted.
2023 Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf was ranked third, behind the EV6 and Model 3. While CR recommends all three, and they posted higher reliability scores than other EVs, "they still lag many conventional cars" in reliability, CR noted.
As we recently reported, the Leaf gets a battery change for 2023 for a slight boost in efficiency and slightly lower range. The Leaf has been a longtime used-EV bestseller as well, and CR appears to recommend the second-generation version that arrived in 2018.
2022 Kia EV6
Although CR recommends the Model 3 now, it hasn't always been that way. It got poor marks for quality in 2018, but moved up in the rankings to become a Top Pick in 2020. That's typical of Tesla, which has performed unevenly in CR surveys over the years. Tesla's other models are still ranked below average, in fact.
Tesla and Nissan have been mass-producing EVs for over a decade now, meaning they've overcome many of the teething problems that affect newcomers, but CR notes that overall EV reliability still lags the best. As it recently pointed out, hybrids rank among the most reliable vehicles—including the Ford Maverick and Toyota Corolla.
