Tesla and established luxury carmakers are frustrating consumers with advanced driving-assistance technology and complex infotainment systems, according to a study by US consultancy JD Power.
The gap in reliability scores between luxury brands and those for mass-market brands such as Kia were the widest in the 34 years JD Power has conducted its Vehicle Dependability Study, the company said.
Tesla would have ranked fifth from the bottom among 32 brands whose owners were surveyed about problems with their three-year-old, 2020 vehicles in the survey released on Thursday. The consultancy sets Tesla aside from other brands in the rankings because the electric vehicle maker doesn't provide it with full access to information about owners.
Tesla owners complained about problems with the Autopilot driver-assistance system and forward-collision warning systems, as well as wind noise, Frank Hanley, a senior director at JD Power said.
Other luxury brands fared poorly too. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and Acura were among those that scored below average for all brands.
Infotainment system complaints, such as problems with wireless Bluetooth phone connections, dragged down scores from vehicle owners of several luxury brands, according to the report.
Even as these brands compete to offer more advanced digital content and dashboard features, luxury vehicle owners are finding fault with the infotainment systems at about double the rate as owners of mass-market brands, Hanley said.
Toyota's Lexus brand was rated the most dependable in the survey. Hyundai and Kia finished second and third respectively.
Hi-tech infotainment systems, driving assistants vexing luxury vehicle owners: study
Image: Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
Tesla and established luxury carmakers are frustrating consumers with advanced driving-assistance technology and complex infotainment systems, according to a study by US consultancy JD Power.
The gap in reliability scores between luxury brands and those for mass-market brands such as Kia were the widest in the 34 years JD Power has conducted its Vehicle Dependability Study, the company said.
Tesla would have ranked fifth from the bottom among 32 brands whose owners were surveyed about problems with their three-year-old, 2020 vehicles in the survey released on Thursday. The consultancy sets Tesla aside from other brands in the rankings because the electric vehicle maker doesn't provide it with full access to information about owners.
Tesla owners complained about problems with the Autopilot driver-assistance system and forward-collision warning systems, as well as wind noise, Frank Hanley, a senior director at JD Power said.
Other luxury brands fared poorly too. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and Acura were among those that scored below average for all brands.
Infotainment system complaints, such as problems with wireless Bluetooth phone connections, dragged down scores from vehicle owners of several luxury brands, according to the report.
Even as these brands compete to offer more advanced digital content and dashboard features, luxury vehicle owners are finding fault with the infotainment systems at about double the rate as owners of mass-market brands, Hanley said.
Toyota's Lexus brand was rated the most dependable in the survey. Hyundai and Kia finished second and third respectively.
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