The Tesla Model Y Just Scored the Worst Reliability Rating in a Decade | Hacker News Reader

The Tesla Model Y Just Scored the Worst Reliability Rating in a Decade

autoblog.com

117 pointswhynotmaybe63 comments

The competence and pricing of dealers along with the proclivities of a car’s customers have a lot to do with it, too. This ranking is basically “of the cars brought for the german federal safety inspection, what percentage were issued a note or failure about an item in a given category” Things like bent suspension linkage caused by driving into a curb, poorly maintained brake pads, or torn rubber boots left unaddressed would all count.

You can see this skew quite easily on these reports by looking for VW AG cars that are generally identical, and comparing their rankings, like Audi A1, VW Polo, Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia.

(note that this isn’t really to defend Teslas, which are clearly behind on this metric in Germany for some reason. Just; the reason could be “their service is overpriced and nobody wants to take the car in” rather than “the car is junk.”)

Do regular service intervals influence this? Would Tesla improve the safety of their cars (by this metric) by giving a regular service for safety items in tandem with the safety inspection interval?

Damage done by the driver is one thing (AFAIU, Tesla Service pricing is pretty damn competitive for repairs), but warranty work like light alignment and function, premature suspension wear (big on Teslas), and brake maintenance probably don't make a difference to Tesla if they are done before the safety inspection or after in terms of cost, but is rather important in terms of reputation...

> Do regular service intervals influence this?

Yes but generally in Germany dealer does TUV for you (on newish cars) where they obviously fix issues before actual TUV officer appears and TUV officer are likely to turn blind eye to many issues since they've been going to same dealer for 20 years.

With Tesla first you take to TUV yourself and then go to Tesla to fix them under warranty.

Saying that clearly Tesla's have certain issues and at least we can see them in public. Very disappointing TUV didn't release breakdown of exact problems, by age, region, mileage, etc.

Damn competitive? In Europe? Dad's friend is a mechanic and the quotes he's heard of for Tesla repairs are all but preposterous. He's a little biased since he works for a competitor, but also does repairs on the side and Tesla parts alone can be 2/3x other brands. Data size of one, but still…

They're holding it wrong.

The post doesn't link to the report itself. It looks like you can only read a summary of it for free and must pay 5.90 to download a copy.[1] From what I can glean from reading TUV's summary, it seems like the Teslas had significantly higher mileage than other vehicles (>50,000km in 2-3 years). Also their failures were mostly in brake discs and rear axle issues, which makes me think that due to regenerative braking, the discs were rusty from disuse. The rear axle issue they mention is probably a clicking noise caused by under-torqued rear halfshaft nuts.[2] Tesla updated their torque values last year[3], so this shouldn't be a problem anymore. Any older vehicle that has the click can be fixed by re-lubricating the hub and torquing the nut to the new value.

Without paying for the report, we can only speculate as to what TUV considers a serious defect. If the rates are as high as claimed (17% Model Y, 13% Model 3), then the issues are most likely minor things such as rusty brakes or rear axle clicking. Rusty brakes are less than ideal, but they're common on EVs and they work just fine. The fix is to simply use the brakes occasionally. If anything it's an indication that the vehicle requires less maintenance because the brake pads won't need replacement as frequently.

1. https://www.tuvsud.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025/novem...

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HncCmgMp-s

3. https://service.tesla.com/docs/Model3/ServiceManual/2024/en-...

As a Ford Fusion Hybrid owner I blow out my rear brakes a lot more often out of rust and lack of use due to regen too, so the TUV is just calling out people not getting their vehicles inspected and serviced as regularly as they should.

In other words... Tesla owners just don't pay attention to service intervals as dedicated and surefast as a VW owner would.

Can cobfirm, I’ve been driving a Model 3 for 6ish years and the brakes have problems from disuse pretty regularly. It’s annoying but not critical. Other than that it has been shockingly reliable. This matches my experience.

I’m confused from the report about how Volkswagen and Mercedes beat Toyota in reliability when my perception is that it’s not even close.

Are the Germans biasing toward their companies? Or am I underrating VW’s quality?

First off, all manufacturers are way, way closer in practical reliability than internet comment section circle jerks. It's like when you look at a wild stock ticker and then see the Y axis is somewhere misleadingly far from zero.

Second, as described in other comments, this is just an analysis of safety inspection data. So you've got to consider the ease with which people can "just take it to the dealer", whether they trust the dealer enough to take petty stuff to them and the kind of people who buy what (Altima factor).

Some of that makes sense but the article itself mentions Mini Cooper at 3% major-defect and the Tesla at 17%…which is obviously a tremendous difference. If that’s true, those manufacturers are in entirely different leagues of reliability.

I’m not disagreeing…I’m just confused. It’s a good point on the selection bias.

German cars can be very reliable if maintained properly. I think a lot of the bad reputation stems from owners who buy a depreciated German car and then cut corners on maintenance.

Japanese cars are more forgiving in that regard; some can go forever with the bare minimum.

Consumer reports put VW 18th out of 22 in reliability, yet some how this article states: "Volkswagen emerged as a dominant force in the reliability rankings, with the Golf Sportsvan, T Roc, and Touareg earning top marks in the four-year and older bracket."

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-s...

Volkswagens get serviced frequently.

Teslas never get serviced, and they don't really use their brakes either due to regenerative braking, so stuff like "rust on brakes" counts as a strike against their "reliability" in this study even though it's harmless.

In reality, owning a Tesla is way more painless than owning a VW.

Rust on breaks can be an issue in emergency breaking. Most modern EVs normally use the break intermittently during normal operations to prevent rust from building up over time.

[Bought cheapest Tesla Model 3 Nov 2022.] [Before that - owner of 2 consecutive Priuses] - before that 2 caravans 2 jeeps etc (I am 60+yrs old)

I have the answer to all these questions :-)

Its very simple. I was about to answer "me too - i have no clue why the germans say that" (to all the (real) tesla owners here that explain that their car was by far the most reliable car they ever drove..

But then I forced my mind to truly remember. None of the two priuses had any issue that required repair in its first 60K miles.. - I remember saying that because the caravans were not like that.I never bought a over-engineered german car - but I am guessing they are not far behind.

But really the tesla - had some issues: - taking the car to fix an erroneous TPMS alert (tire pressure measuring system) (twice) - replace headrest - headrest "bubbles"

My mind doesnt really recorded the above as repairs.. because they were totally painless... the second was a mobile visit - I opened the app - service - asked me for photos - it told me sorry - we will fix for free - because its the first time - they asked me to leave the car outside the garage - the next day found the car fixed

As for the TPMS it involved a 4 week out visit to a tesla - and even though nothing was perfect... i left that place feeling i have visited a utopia were car dealerships are friendlier than anthropology and more trust worthy than your accountant. Most importantly though i never did anything else for the Tesla. no oil service nothing. For 3 yrs I just commuted in it - occassionally washed it - and last month i changed its tires... Not even refilled the water. Every other car (included the priuses) involved the time investment of visiting a dealership twice a year - were someone would make sure the car was alright. They wouldnt charge me - because they made me buy with extra $K the free service while the car in warranty package.. .. But still in my head I must have counted this as an actual service penalty. So thats the diff in the apples to oranges german comparison. They compare german cars that are being regularly service with Teslas that never do. I may be right!!!

odysseas

I have a Model Y from September 2022 (made in China). Aside from there being white paint on the inside passenger door on delivery (which they fixed the next day), I haven't had an issue since getting it.

The first service was a couple of months ago where they:

- Changed the HVAC filter

- Changed the HEPA and carbon filter

- Checked the brakes, which were fine.

Aside from that, I've put on new windscreen wiper blades and a new set of tires.

Tesla has its problems (between 2019 and 2024 the auto headlights and auto wipers were borderline unusable, now they are merely tolerable, and autopilot is a whole story on it's own), but maintenance is not one of Tesla's issues.

Useable, human-readable errors in the app/touch screen (the car self diagnosed it's 12V battery problem and told me to call a tech) and mobile service is just an awesome experience.

Except if a car was reliable it shouldn’t have errors at least until at least being 10 years old (the 12V battery is an exception because it has a smaller lifespan than the car). I never had a check engine light on my previous car during 10 years of ownership, I’m worried about consumers getting used to a new normal of low quality.

Yeah people love to hate on Tesla and always point out the maintenance issues. But from the reports I have seen, Tesla is indeed one of the companies with the worst record in terms of number of incidents requiring maintenance, but among the cheapest, if not the cheapest in cumulative amount spent on maintenance.

I feel like if these report included the price and severity instead of just the frequency of the maintenance it would paint quite a different picture.

My MYP has needed to go into the shop once (aside from a Portland pothole wrecking a wheel and bending a suspension arm).

Our Benz sprinter needed an engine at 11k miles.

I wonder what they count as defects.

> The 2025 TÜV Report has delivered

The article doesn't even get this right. It's the 2026 report.

https://www.tuvsud.com/de-de/publikationen/tuev-report/maeng...

Trying to buy this report but I am failing right now.

I’ve owned two model Ys over the past 5 years or so. Zero maintenance issues. I also had a 2020 Model 3 that I recently sold and it had 1 issue with the small secondary battery after 5 years. Tesla charged me ~$140 to come to my house and replace it.

The fact that VW and Mercedes dominated the reliability ratings not Toyota and some other Japanese brand makes me extremely suspicious of this metric.

The metric here is Does the car exhibit problems on an inspection checklist, not is th car reliable. Broken VW are either repaired or scrapped and dont see the light of TUV. VW owners service cars regularly once a year like a clockwork so all the minor ripped rubbers, misaligned headlights, suspension alignment problems, leaking shocks, exhaust leaks, indicator lights etc are routinely tested. Tesla cars dont need _any_ of that. A lot of owners change tires and keep driving until weird smells (cabin filter) or ride harshness (clapped out bushings) starts to really annoy. Its quit common to see Teslas for sale here with untouched suspension and parts grinding metal on metal.

I suspect Toyota might also be a victim of its own reliability. Why would you pay for full service when cars dont break during first 5 years of ownership.

I am not surprised, my model s, supposedly a good build year is absolutely crappy and feels like a cheap piece of plastic. Talk about regret! I can only complain anonymously because I am sure musk will be vindictive and cut off all updates, service and even self driving just for me :)

My 2021 S I bought used has been rather as expected in terms of issues... which is to say I have a similar experience to you, somewhat due to the prior owner leaving a litany of subtle issues for me to find and get serviced and also due to the S-ness. It's low volume, so I get it, but I think most of the cheapness is not safety related (except that all PS4S on 21" configurations should be fired into the sun they are such utter crap in terms of longevity and handling feel).

Regardless of the accuracy of this particular report, the general trend seems to be that Teslas are not improving in reliability, fit, finish, or worst of all, availability of spare parts as time progresses. This is now, what, a 15 year old company?

My biased opinion is that it won't get better in the future, because Tesla has ceased to be a company that aspirational people will work at, and the CEO isn't even interested in being CEO of a car company.

I hope that Chinese EV makers gain access to the US market directly or indirectly, and are able to globally diversify. It's the only way we'll really get the EV revolution and the diversity of models and form factors.

We'll certainly never get it with Tesla. They are years behind in battery tech, they basically make two cars.

If Tesla had a real CEO, they wouldn't just have 10 models of cars, they'd have multiple marques, true luxury cars, entry level cars, probably would have acquired other struggling automakers for production capacity, market access, existing designs to adapt, would have had companies pushing PHEVs with their motors, battery packaging, and battery management.

Instead, they make two cars, and still have a CEO that did perhaps the single dumbest public gaff in the history of corporations with his public nazi salutes and AfD dogwhistling.

My Model Y has been more reliable than the two Highlanders I had before.

I think that speaks more to the sorry state of modern cars.

The question is would you pass a TÜV check?

They find faults long before your car breaks down

Here are the key points one can have after using some scripts to load the content:

* Tesla Model Y ranked most unreliable among nearly new cars, with 17.3% serious defect rate.

* TÜV report found rising major defects, particularly in electric vehicles like Tesla’s Model 3 and Y.

* European brands, especially Mercedes and Volkswagen, dominated reliability rankings across all age groups.

Are you sure about that third point? Going to the graph they link, Volkswagen ranks near dead last: https://www.autoblog.com/features/predicted-car-reliability

The article is about TÜV findings, the linked graph is the average predicted reliability based on Consumer Report member survey.

I think the TUV is mostly about safety equipment (light, breaks) that don't pass the two year check (they probably also test the alignment and other stuff), and your link might be about engine/transmission/power train defects.

It was a copy/paste, I make no claims about whatever the points indicate

Why is this happening? This isn't real, is it?

Scan their other posts - you might notice some bait.

https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=autoblog.com

Had my Model Y for 4 years with no issue!

Funny enough, my 2007 BMW had so many issues and cost so much to maintain i used to call it a “wallet burning machine”

"Big Money Waster" is what we used to call them. They are notorious for electronic faults in particular. They're just very complicated, which electric cars aren't.

My friend and I have started tinkering on our cars together.

He’s got an early 90s 525i BMW and I’ve got a 2000 SR5 Toyota 4Runner.

The engineering of my Toyota is so much simpler and easier to work on than his BMW. But his BMW has given us a lot more practice, if you know what I mean ^_^

So your 19 year old car has more trouble than your 4 year old car? Weird.

Or maybe their 2007 BMW was causing them to lose money since 2007.

I had the car for about 5 years since 2007 - didn't say I had it for 19 years :)

B-M-trouble-yew is another fave

I have a 2019 Model 3, and it has some paint issues, specifically in the door hinge areas. It had some suspension issues which were repaired in half a day, under warranty. It has an issue where the windshield in front of the self driving cameras gets obscured with some gunk, blocking the cameras (it continues self driving even when half blind). The steering wheel material is falling apart. Other than that, for the past 6 years, it’s turned on every day, driven flawlessly, and cost me exactly $0 in maintenance other than tire replacement - not even brakes needed in 90k miles. No German car I’ve owned has ever come close to that record. I’m skeptical of the review.

are you familiar with how statistics and sample sizes work?

N=1, but many of my other friends also have Teslas and their experiences are similar.

I have a similar experience and also a recent German car with more problems than the Tesla.

I never had any problem with any car

Are you a bus enjoyer?

Nope, just an outlier

The plural of anecdote is data.

> Anecdotes may be real or fictional; the anecdotal digression is a common feature of literary works and even oral anecdotes typically involve subtle exaggeration and dramatic shape designed to entertain the listener.

Everything is data, but not all data are facts

I mean this is like comment and comment reply number three of the same pattern: "I have Tesla Model 3|Y and it's doing well" --> "sample size of 1 mreh".

Reviews tend to skew negative. Where are all the angry Tesla owners here? (Seriously. I want to hear from angry HN readers about bad 3|Y ownership experience.)

I have a Y and an S (Palladium) and the Y is solid (only service for usual EV wear items) but the S has been... a "luxury" vehicle let's say that. I'd imagine some of the issues it had in its history wouldn't pass German TUV, but I got the things I noticed fixed under warranty.

I'm really curious how the newer vehicles do. It's a bit of a running joke "the new ones will be better!" but I really do see the improvement in my 2023 Y versus the 2020 3 I had. The S falls somewhere in between in a way that makes sense given its price point and year.

A sample size of 3 happy users, even with review bias, is still way too small to refute a supposed defect rate of 17%.

And I bet that comments on HN are going to be less affected by negative review bias than actual reviews.

It didn’t happen to me, so it can’t be true is a bad metric

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