Consumer Reports pulled its glowing recommendation for the Tesla Model S after 1,400 customers complained of a host of problems ranging from motor failures and warped brakes to console issues and leaks.
Tesla received a “worse-than-average” rating from Consumer Reports in a new annual report, concluding that the Model S has “too many problems to recommend.” Tesla shares dropped almost 7 percent with Tuesday’s news, reports The Washington Post, renewing fears that the company may struggle to expand passed the niche of novelty cars for the wealthy.
In August, Tesla received an unprecedented 103 out of 100 from Consumer Reports, who gushed over the new model and said that it performed, “better in our tests than any other car ever has,” making their pulled recommendation all the more surprising.
Moving out of the luxury green brand may be a struggle for the cutting edge automaker, with Tesla currently only producing the Model S and the new Model X, their $132,000 wing-doored SUV, products that aren’t within financial reach of the broader public. According to The Washington Post, Tesla aims to have a $35,000 vehicle on the market in three years called the Model 3, but with only 33,000 Model S deliveries in 2015, it’s unclear what their plan is to hit this target.
“It’s one thing to have a quirky, problematic car that sells 20,000 units per year to wealthy people who probably own at least one backup vehicle,” said a Consumer Reports reviewer. “It’s quite another when Tesla scales up to its 2020 projection of 200,000 U.S. Model 3 buyers, who may not have the luxury of being so forgiving.”
Devout Tesla consumers still love the car and the company however, reports The Washington Post, and a Tesla spokesperson noted, “Consumer Reports also found that customers rate Tesla service and loyalty as the best in the world. Close communication with our customers enables Tesla to receive input, proactively address issues, and quickly fix problems.”
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