It stands to reason that simpler electric vehicle powertrains should have fewer problems than internal combustion engines. After all, they don't have to withstand thousands of tiny explosions every second the engine is running. In fact, unlike cars powered by internal combustion engines, there are no moving parts or other stressors when a car is idling. Unfortunately, with the exception of hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and fully electric vehicles (EVs) appear to be far less reliable than internal combustion engine vehicles.
The research comes from reliable consumer watchdog Consumer Reports. In a recent survey, Consumer Reports studied 330,000 vehicles and looked at 20 common car problems, ranging from minor issues like squeaky brakes to major repairs like out-of-warranty engine and transmission issues. Given the magnitude of the problem, CR ranked each vehicle's reliability from 0 to 100.
On a scale of 0-100, electric vehicles score an average of 44 points. The electric SUV had slightly more problems, scoring 43 points. Electric trucks ranked last among all electric vehicles, scoring only 30 points.
By studying the problem areas, CR found that electric vehicles have 79% more problems than gasoline vehicles. Plug-in hybrids fare even worse, with reliability 146% lower than internal combustion engine cars. In the PHEV category, the biggest loser is the Chrysler Pacifica, with a reliability score of 14, the lowest in the industry.
Surprisingly, regular hybrids (electric vehicles that don't need to be recharged between trips) are the most reliable category, with 26% fewer problems than internal combustion engine powertrains. Consumer Reports says the reason hybrids have higher reliability scores is due to 25 years of improvements.
Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, explained: "Although hybrids are more complex, with a gas engine as the main component and an electric drive system as a supplement, they still exceed the reliability of electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles. This is because hybrid technology is more than 25 years old and is mainly provided by the most reliable automakers."
Consumer Reports found that Lexus remains the most reliable brand, with an average score of 79. Toyota (76 points) and Mini (71 points) ranked second and third respectively. Honda and its luxury brand Acura tied for fourth, with both averaging 70 points, with Subaru missing the top five by just 69 points.
By region, Japan continues to lead in overall reliability, with a score of 63 points, 17 points higher than second-placed Europe (46 points). The top 10 brands with the highest reliability are from Japan and Europe, with scores of 7 and 3 respectively. U.S. automakers lag behind other countries, with an average reliability score of 39 and not even a single car in the top 10.
The five least reliable manufacturers were Jeep (26 points), Volkswagen (26 points), Rivian (24 points), Mercedes-Benz (23 points) and Chrysler (18 points). It's important to note that these are average scores, and most manufacturers, including U.S. automakers, have models that score above average overall.
Consumer Reports advises those thinking about buying an electric car not to rush into it. Before buyers snap up, especially if it's a first-year model, they should read reviews to find out what problems other customers have encountered.
"Our data has consistently shown that reliability-focused consumers are better off not buying a first-year new car," Fisher said. "EVs are still in their relative infancy as mainstream vehicles, so it's not surprising that manufacturers overall are still figuring out the kinks."