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Consumer Reports 2026: Tesla Cracks Top 10 as Model Y Leads New EV Reliability

Older Teslas rank among the least reliable used cars, underscoring a split between new and used performance.

Overview

  • Tesla places 10th overall in Consumer Reports’ 2026 brand report card with an overall score of 72 and rises to ninth for brand reliability.
  • Consumer Reports names the Tesla Model Y the most reliable new electric vehicle, while the Cybertruck is the brand’s only below-average model.
  • The analysis finds EVs and plug-in hybrids report about 80% more problems than gas-only vehicles, whereas conventional hybrids have roughly 15% fewer issues.
  • Five- to ten-year-old Teslas sit at the bottom of CR’s used-car reliability rankings, a trend CR links to the company’s earlier rapid production ramp.
  • Subaru leads the overall brand report, Toyota tops reliability, and the findings draw on owner surveys covering about 380,000 vehicles with over 140,000 used models from 2016–2021.