Glitchy features dent electric SUV reliability, survey finds

DETROIT (AP) — Electric SUVs generally are among the least reliable vehicles on the road, but it's not because of the batteries or electric motors that power them.

Instead, it's because of glitch-prone electronics including climate controls and power equipment, the annual auto reliability survey of subscribers by Consumer Reports found.

Electric SUVs were the least reliable category in the annual survey of subscribers to the magazine and website who collectively own more than 300,000 vehicles. Tesla's Models X and Y, the Audi E-Tron and Volkswagen ID.4 were among the vehicles singled out as having problems in areas other than the electric powertrain.

In contrast, compact and plug-in gas-electric hybrids led by the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime and the Honda Insight were the most reliable category, said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports.

Overall, Japanese brands led by Lexus, Mazda, Toyota and Infiniti took eight of the top 10 spots in the reliability survey. General Motors' Buick brand finished fifth, and BMW's Mini was 10th.

Ford's Lincoln luxury brand finished last of 28 brands with Tesla, Jeep, Genesis and Volkswagen rounding out the bottom five.

Electric vehicles, with far fewer moving parts, should be more reliable than gas-powered vehicles, Fisher said. But electric SUVs tend to be higher-priced luxury vehicles at present, and those have all the latest technology that can cause trouble, he said.

“The powertrains aren't the problem," Fisher said. Instead, the electric SUVs often are equipped with electric door handles, electric-activated climate control vents and other features. “By having all of these new technologies saddled into these early adopter-mobiles, there are more problems associated with them.”

Fisher said electric...