Electric vehicles: complaints, recalls and trends by model
The Electric vehicles segment covers 10 tracked models with 13,984 owner complaints and 193 recall campaigns on record. It averages 56.4 complaints per year on the road — more complaints than typical relative to all tracked vehicles (index 1.34).
Analysis
Tesla Model S has the fewest complaints per year in the segment and Tesla Model Y the most. The segment's largest problem area is Electrical (24.8% of complaints, 1.6× the fleet share).
By model year, the segment's average rate is highest for 2023 (87.5) and lowest for 2019 (28.9). In the last 12 months owners filed 2,766 complaints versus 2,281 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. Models on an improving trend: Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Models on a worsening trend: Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model 3.
Models
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model S | 708 | 17.4 | 0.41 | Worsening | Falling | 31 | Interior & equipment |
| 2 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 532 | 17.8 | 0.42 | Stable | Steady | 13 | Electrical |
| 3 | Tesla Model X | 736 | 18.6 | 0.44 | Worsening | Falling | 33 | Interior & equipment |
| 4 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 650 | 28.9 | 0.69 | Improving | Steady | 0 | Electrical |
| 5 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 536 | 33.4 | 0.79 | Improving | Falling | 2 | Electrical |
| 6 | Kia EV6 | 535 | 38.5 | 0.91 | Improving | Rising | 5 | Electrical |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 991 | 48.7 | 1.16 | Worsening | Steady | 24 | Electrical |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,228 | 100.4 | 2.39 | Worsening | Steady | 35 | Driver-assist systems |
| 9 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 1,319 | 114.8 | 2.73 | Improving | Rising | 14 | Electrical |
| 10 | Tesla Model Y | 3,749 | 128.3 | 3.05 | Stable | Steady | 36 | Driver-assist systems |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
By model year · Complaints per year on the road
All-vehicle average: 42.1
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Frequently asked questions
Which of the Electric vehicles has the fewest owner complaints?
Tesla Model S has the fewest complaints per year in the segment and Tesla Model Y the most. The segment's largest problem area is Electrical (24.8% of complaints, 1.6× the fleet share).
Which Electric vehicles are improving or worsening?
By model year, the segment's average rate is highest for 2023 (87.5) and lowest for 2019 (28.9). In the last 12 months owners filed 2,766 complaints versus 2,281 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. Models on an improving trend: Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Models on a worsening trend: Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model 3.