Do EVs Have More Quality Problems?
Electric vehicles, with their remarkably simple drivetrains and fewer moving components, should have fewer problems and require fewer repairs than gasoline-powered vehicles, because there’s less to go wrong. But the latest Initial Quality Study from market research firm J.D. Power, incorporating repair data from franchised dealerships, shows that EVs as well as plug-in hybrids require more dealer visits than gas-powered vehicles. But a deeper dive into the data suggests you shouldn’t be worried about EVs breaking down more – most issues that require a dealer visit involve issues with controls and displays that are confusing or difficult to use.
For the first time in the history of the Initial Quality Survey, J.D. Power integrated data from dealer visits, as well as owner-reported issues, resulting in a significant jump in the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). In previous years, the study, which measures the number of issues owners experience in the first 90 days with their vehicles, has seen top marks dip below 100 PP100; this year’s average was 195 problems per 100 vehicles, with electric cars averaging 266 PP100. So why do electric cars have so many issues?
EV Tech Features Cause Owner Frustration
“It is not surprising that the introduction of new technology has challenged manufacturers to maintain vehicle quality,” said Frank Hanley, who leads auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. The biggest group of issues that owners reported had nothing to do with build quality, drivetrain reliability, or anything mechanical; it’s all of the tech packed into new vehicles, particularly EVs, that’s frustrating owners, who experienced issues with controls, displays, false warnings, and connectivity features.
One notable example that J.D. Power points out is Tesla, a company that in the past few years had narrowed the quality gap to traditional manufacturers. The company’s removal of traditional control stalks for turn signals and windshield wipers meant that its vehicles scored far worse, as owners became frustrated with confusing new controls. Given that Tesla still owns about half of the overall market for electric cars, it understandably helped to drive higher PP100 scores for EVs.
Other issues highlighted by owners demonstrate that the in-car tech which permeates most electric cars might require more education from the dealer to the customer. For instance, rear-seat reminder technology, which is supposed to help owners avoid leaving a child or a pet in the back seat, is often mistakenly perceived as a warning about unbuckled seat belts.
Advanced driver assistance systems, which come with alerts and functions to warn drivers about dangerous situations, can also create the perception of an issue with a vehicle if an owner isn’t well-informed about how they work. These systems can sometimes operate the steering, brakes, and other controls when activated, and if owners aren’t familiar with their operation, they might feel that there’s an issue with the car. Furthermore, other owners report the systems’ alerts for rear cross-traffic alert and automatic braking can be irritating.
Electric Cars: Smartphone Connectivity is Problematic
The most commonly reported problems, across all types of vehicles, were with vehicle infotainment systems. Connectivity features, particularly Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, were a frequent source of difficulties, with drivers frequently experiencing lost connections or difficulties connecting their phones. This is a particular problem because over 50 percent of Apple users and 42 percent of Samsung users use their smartphone connection every time the drive.
J.D. Power reports that “features, controls, and displays” is the second-most common problem reported by owners – and is one of the biggest issues with EVs. Indeed, electric car owners had 30 percent more problems with controls and displays than gasoline vehicles, reporting issues with everything from unreliable navigation systems, poorly-operating OEM smartphone apps, and even simple functions like windshield wipers and rear-view mirrors. Many manufacturers have moved the controls for these functions from physical switches to menus integrated into vehicle touchscreens, making them more difficult to access.
What Are the Top Ranked Brands for EV Quality?
The results, therefore, for the top-ranking brands are telling. In the mass-market segment, Ram pickups scored the highest for initial quality, with 149 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Chevrolet and Hyundai. All these brands offer straightforward, easy-to-use infotainment systems and have cabins with plenty of conventional physical controls. In the premium segment, Porsche had the top score with 172 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Lexus and Genesis. The top-scoring vehicle overall was the Lexus LC coupe, an old-school V8-powered luxury car, with just 106 PP100.
J.D. Power’s 2024 Initial Quality Study surveyed close to 100,000 purchasers of new 2024 model-year vehicles after 90 days of ownership. For the first time in the 38 years the study has been conducted, the IQS incorporated repair visit data from hundreds of thousands of data points at franchised dealers. The survey consisted of 227 questions organized into 10 categories: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair).
