J.D. Power & Associates Warn Tesla Model 3 Buyers Will Not Be As Forgiving of Quality Issues

Aaron Turpen
Posted by April 2, 2017

A new J.D. Power & Associates report titled Tesla: Beyond the Hype” takes a critical and influential look at the brand’s history of quality control and reliability issues. The report warns that if the Tesla brand does not up its quality with the upcoming Model 3 “everyman car,” the consequences will likely end in disaster for the automaker.

“Tesla owners see themselves as pioneers who enjoy being early adopters of new technology. Spending $100,000 or more on a vehicle that has so many problems usually would have a dramatically negative effect on sales and brand perception. Right now, though, Tesla seems immune from such disenchanted customers. When consumers buy a mass-market car priced around $35,000 that will be their primary mode of transportation [the Model 3], the degree of expectation will increase immensely. We’ve seen that with other well-liked brands, whether or not it involves an electric vehicle.” —Kathleen Rizk, director, global automotive consulting at J.D. Power

The report’s detailed examination of the quality issues with Tesla is based on multiple focus groups and an in-depth evaluation of Tesla models versus competitive vehicles. J.D. Power & Associates have previously not included Tesla models in the company’s annual reliability and initial quality studies due to the Tesla brand’s low sales figures versus other automakers resulting in owner survey samples being too small to bear reliable data.
More information about the report can be found here.

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Aaron Turpen

An automotive enthusiast for most of his adult life, Aaron has worked in and around the industry in many ways. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP), the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), and freelances as a writer and journalist around the Web and in print. You can find his portfolio at AaronOnAutos.com.
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An automotive enthusiast for most of his adult life, Aaron has worked in and around the industry in many ways. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP), the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), and freelances as a writer and journalist around the Web and in print. You can find his portfolio at AaronOnAutos.com.