According to a new Consumer Reports survey, despite their reputations for unreliable cars and callbacks, Tesla and Rivian continue to enjoy high levels of customer satisfaction and stock market success.
The 2025 Automotive Report Card from Consumer Reports, based on responses from around 300,000 vehicle owners, placed Rivian’s electric vehicles (EVs) at the very bottom of its reliability rankings. Tesla wasn’t far behind, ranking as the sixth least reliable brand out of 22 major car manufacturers.
In contrast, traditional Japanese brands like Subaru, Lexus, and Toyota dominated the top spots in the reliability report.
However, while Tesla and Rivian lagged in reliability rankings, their owners appear unfazed and still strongly loyal to both brands.
Surprisingly, Rivian boasted the highest owner satisfaction rating of any brand surveyed in the report, with 86% of respondents saying they would buy another Rivian regardless of the automaker’s last-place reliability ranking. Tesla also performed strongly, with 72% of owners expressing interest in buying another car from the manufacturer.
Yet both car makers have faced considerable scrutiny over various reliability issues, with Tesla’s Cybertruck, in particular, receiving significant negative attention recently. Since its release last year, the futuristic electric pickup has been recalled six times in 2024 alone. Issues with the Cybertruck have included problems with its drive inverter, rearview camera, tire covers, and even its oversized wiper blade.
In April, a notably dangerous recall affected nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks after concerns that the accelerator pedal could become stuck at full throttle.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, earlier this summer, Tesla canceled the low-end configuration of the Cybertruck, which was originally priced at $61,000, making the new starting price for the truck $100,000.
Despite their price fluctuations and reliability critiques, both Tesla and Rivian continue to enjoy and benefit from strong customer loyalty, according to Business Insider. For many of these owners, factors like performance, aesthetics, innovation, and the overall driving experience seem to outweigh concerns about reliability issues.
These loyal customers have shown up in the stock market, reinforcing Tesla’s positive growth throughout 2024.
Tesla’s stock (TSLA) surged early on Monday of last week, aiming for a level it hasn’t reached since January 2022, reported Insider Business Daily. TSLA shares briefly hit $404.80 before retreating to $382.75, following a strong 12.8% gain last week. Despite being more than 70% above its 200-day moving average, often a sign that a stock is “overextended,” Tesla remains a top pick for investors.
Regardless of stock market success showcasing that EVs and plug-in hybrids have gained popularity throughout 2024, they tend to experience more issues than traditional hybrid or combustion engine vehicles. According to Consumer Reports, hybrid vehicles had 42% fewer problems than electric models, while plug-in hybrids saw 70% fewer issues than EVs.