Tesla and Rivian are among the least reliable auto brands, but drivers love them anyway, a huge survey finds

• Rivian and Tesla are among the least reliable car brands, according to Consumer Reports’ survey of 300,000 owners.
• Their drivers don’t seem to mind, with both EV companies ranking highly for customer satisfaction.
• Tesla has faced scrutiny over vehicle reliability, with the Cybertruck being recalled six times this year.

Rivian and Tesla may not have the most reliable vehicles on the market — but their drivers don’t care.

The two electric vehicle brands have some of the highest customer satisfaction despite being among the least reliable vehicle brands, according to Consumer Report’s 2025 Automotive Report Card.

EV startup Rivian was ranked as the worst vehicle brand for reliability, while Tesla was voted the 6th least reliable of the 22 major brands surveyed.

Japanese brands Subaru, Lexus, and Toyota led the rankings, which are based on surveys of around 300,000 vehicle owners.

Percieved unreliability hasn’t affected Tesla and Rivian owner’s enjoyment of their vehicles, however.

86% of the Rivian owners surveyed by Consumer Reports said they would buy their Rivian EV again, giving it the highest owner satisfaction rating of any brand surveyed.

Tesla was not far behind, with 72% of owners saying they would buy their vehicle again.

The Elon Musk-run company has faced scrutiny over vehicle reliability in recent years.

Tesla’s most recently launched vehicle, the Cybertruck, has been recalled six times in 2024.

The angular electric pickup, which Musk previously said would be “apocalypse-proof,” has faced issues with its drive inverter, rearview camera, and famously large wiper.

In April, Tesla recalled almost 4,000 Cybertrucks over fears the accelerator pedal could become jammed at full throttle.

Consumer Reports found that conventional hybrids remain more reliable than EVs and plug-in hybrids, which had 42% and 70% more problems on average than combustion engine vehicles and hybrids, respectively, according to owners surveyed.

Rivian and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, sent outside normal working hours.