- Tesla vehicles have the lowest repair and maintenance costs of any car manufacturer, according to a study carried out by Consumer Reports in the US.
- The reliability advantage of electric vehicles is made clear, with Tesla trouncing first place ahead of manufacturers who produce a mix of EV and ICE models.
- Tesla’s low total repair costs were followed by Buick and Toyota, coming in second and third place respectively.
Tesla takes the crown for the cheapest to maintain brand in the US
The figures, which formed part of Consumer Reports’ 2023 Annual Auto Survey, showed that over a ten-year ownership from new, Tesla vehicles cost their owners on average $4,035. Just $580 of that sum came from the first five years of ownership, with the remaining $3,455 coming between years six and ten.
Ford, which took fifth place in maintenance and repair costs, at $5,400, produces a range of both ICE and EV models, though Consumer Reports did not provide a breakdown of EV-specific reliability per brand. We’ll be watching these yearly charts more closely, once more brands go fully-electric.
It’s been known for a while that EVs are more reliable than their combustion-engine counterparts thanks to the much-reduced number of moving parts, with UK recovery firm Start Rescue also revealing that EVs are 59% less likely to break down, but these statistics from Consumer Reports further verify that fact. YouTuber Autolex also proved the long-term reliability of EVs, recently purchasing an ex-taxi Model S with over 450,000 miles on the clock, and despite doing more than the equivalent of a journey to the moon, it was in remarkably decent condition.
