Despite being hailed as a leader in the auto industry, Tesla is falling behind, according to the recent J.D. Power study.
In a recent quality report, J.D. Power found out that Tesla owners have more complaints compared to their counterpart. The report reveals that more Tesla owners are reporting issues in their first 90 days of ownership. The J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study surveyed 32 auto manufacturing companies in the United States.
Benchmark for quality
J.D. Power is a well-regarded benchmark for quality in the United States. The firm surveys car owners and then create a grading system for problems reported every 100 vehicles. These problems are wide-ranging and can include mundane issues from infotainment bugs to serious engine defects.
Based on the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study, the average is 166 problems for every 100 vehicles. Top car brands like Kia and Dodge stand at 136 problems per 100 vehicles. On the other hand, Tesla stands on top with 250 problems per 100 vehicles.
The results of the 2020 #JDPowerIQS are here!
J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, now in its 34th year, examines problems experienced by purchasers and lessees of new 2020 model-year vehicles during the first 90 days of ownership.
Learn more > https://t.co/Qbslkcy5RX pic.twitter.com/L8uZnFy1HQ
— J.D. Power (@JDPower) June 24, 2020
J.D. Power vice president of automotive quality Dave Sargent said that less complicated cars report fewer problems. In a car that is stuffed with complicated technologies, problems are bound to arise more often. On the contrary, cars that are less tech-dependent are less likely to report a problem.
Unwillingness to join
Despite the scope of the study, Tesla is not actually part of it. The electric car maker does not allow researchers like J.D. Power to access customer vehicles registration data. J.D. Power said that its data were gathered from around 1,250 Model 3 owners who participated in the survey.
In a statement, J.D. Power president of automotive division Doug Betts said:
“Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla doesn’t grant us permission to survey its owners in 15 states where it is required.”
Mr Betts added that his firm was able to acquire the data needed from car owners in 35 other states. They were able to extrapolate the data and calculate the average score of the electric car manufacturer.
With regards to the rest of the recent quality survey, South Korean carmaker Hyundai tops the list. Hyundai has seven vehicles on the top list. General Motors is in second place with six vehicles on the top list. Nissan, Ford, and BMW each have three vehicles included in the top list.
As of this writing, Tesla has yet to issue a comment about the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study.
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