[ad_1]
DETROIT – Electric car manufacturer
You're here
Inc.
TSLA 0.29%
Consumer Reports' latest reliability rankings, as well as several other national brands, have pushed American automakers to rush to deploy new technologies that have made their vehicles more prone to glitches than their competitors.
Tesla slid six places, placing third among the 29 worst-performing brands this year, according to the magazine's highly-watched magazine on new car reliability.
The company's newest model, the Vehicle Plug-In, scored "average" – like last year – but Consumer Reports removed its recommended support from the Model S sedan for the second time in a row. four years, citing problems reported by the owner. problems ranging from the door handle to the newly standard air suspension.
The model X sport utility vehicle also performed poorly this year, ranking among the worst performers of the nearly 300 models examined in this year's report. The influential product review magazine pointed out that lingering problems with Falcon wing doors and the central display screen were the factors that contributed to the assessment of its "much worse than average" reliability. .
Tesla challenged Consumer Reports 'latest assessment of its vehicles' reliability and ranking against its peers, noting that the brand and its vehicles had already earned good ratings from the magazine and its readers.
"Our cars are not only the safest and most efficient vehicles available today, but we take the comments of our customers very seriously and implement improvements every time we hear about problems," he said. said a spokesman for the company.
Tesla solved the suspension problems in the Model S and constantly improved the quality of the Model X, which presented "some inconsistencies in terms of quality" in the older production models, the spokesman said.
Detroit's automakers had a tough year, with no national brands in the top half of the rankings and several brands, including Buick, Chevrolet and Chrysler, falling several notches, placing them closer to the bottom.
Ford engine
Co.
F -3.26%
,
General Motors
Co.
GM -3.58%
and
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
NV is each experiencing a hefty launch of new cars, introducing many new technologies to the market, such as eight-speed transmissions and more sophisticated multimedia systems, said Jake Fisher, director of automatic testing at Consumer Reports.
The new features add to the complexity and increase the risk of error, which is one of the reasons why their predicted reliability scores are lower than in previous years, Fisher said.
"As we get new technologies, there is a learning curve" to make it transparent, Fisher said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Tesla's performance has also been negated as it has generally been more aggressive in deploying new features that have yet to be proven in the market, he added.
Among the worst-ranked brands is GM's Buick, which has performed well in recent years but lost 11 places in the final standings due to problems with a new nine-speed transmission. Fiat Chrysler's Jeep and Ram brands also performed poorly.
The Ford brand is ranked first among US automakers, but lost three places from the previous year. Ford is said to be pleased to be at the forefront of national brands. He will review these notes as the automaker strives to improve quality.
GM and Fiat Chrysler did not comment immediately.
US automakers have long lagged behind Asian brands in the Consumer Reports rankings, despite the constant improvement of other external measures of quality and reliability. For example, in a J.D. Power quality ranking in June in the first months after the purchase, several US brands ranked among the best, including Ford, GM's Chevrolet brand and Fiat Chrysler's pickup lineup.
Volvo is the lowest of the 29 brands, which Consumer Reports largely attributes to a problematic multimedia system used on several sports utility models. Volvo, which belongs to Chinese group Zhejiang Geely Holding, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Toyota and Lexus brands of Toyota Motor Corp. Meanwhile, they held the top two spots, a position the Japanese automaker has held since 2014. Mr. Fisher said that Toyota's more cautious approach to deploying new technologies has helped them in their reliability scores, while brands like Tesla, which tend to adopt very early, have struggled to commit.
"[Tesla] made the decision to be the first rather than to ensure reliability, "said Mr. Fisher. "It's the opposite of Toyota, which is happy to be the last at the party."
A spokesman for Toyota Motor said he is satisfied with his high ranking. "Our brands are built on a foundation of quality, reliability and reliability, and this recognition from Consumer Reports validates our approach," said the spokesperson.
The seal of approval of Consumer Reports is sought by the automotive industry to strengthen its claims. Annual rankings are based on weighted data collected from Consumer Reports members who own or lease a car up to three years old.
Other Asian brands led the list, with
Mazda
third place followed by
Subaru
and Kia. The only non-Asian brands in the top 10 were
Audi
,
BMW
and Mini.
Tesla's results in consumer reviews and surveys have been mixed over the years. The magazine first drew its recommendation from the Model S sedan in 2015, citing homeowners' concerns about quality, such as popping squeaks and leaking sunroofs, but in 2016, it reinstated its influential influence.
Earlier this year, Consumer Reports said it could not recommend Model 3 because its shutdown was proving too long, but Tesla has improved the braking distance with a wirelessly transmitted software update, which has led the magazine to reconsider its decision.
Fisher said Tesla continues to generate great customer satisfaction and that it is performing well in other areas. But unlike more traditional automakers, it is continually updating its existing models, resulting in a wider fluctuation in its predicted reliability scores. "They are constantly changing the car," he said. "As you add complexity, you will have more problems."
Write to Chester Dawson at [email protected]
Source link
