A recent study by Consumer Reports took a close look at the reliability of used cars and surveyed over 150,000 vehicle owners on 20 different problem areas. The aim: to assess the long-term quality of 5- to 10-year-old vehicles from 2014 to 2019.

Lexus and Toyota lead the ranking, followed by Mazda, Acura and Honda. German manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen made it into the upper midfield. Tesla, on the other hand, landed in third-last place, just ahead of Dodge and Chrysler. Despite the brand's reputation for innovation, there are significant technical problems with Model S and Model X vehicles produced between 2014 and 2019.

The batteries and the drive motor often have to be replaced, which is associated with high costs. Failures in the headlights and defects in the infotainment system are also not uncommon. However, as an analyst from Consumer Reports explained, the poor ranking came as no surprise. After all, Tesla is still a young brand and the Model S was the company's first self-produced e-car.

According to Statista the Tesla Model Y was the world's best-selling car in 2023 with 1.2 million vehicles sold. However, when it comes to buying used cars, traditional brands still seem to be the better choice. Interestingly, current Tesla models such as the Model 3 and Model Y performed better in the new car category. However, these vehicles also showed weaknesses in the J.D. Power study on initial quality and performed worse than in the previous year.