That's the downside of CR's system. Reliability is based on the survey returns, not some objective (?) measure. I don't think their staff tries to verify anything; they just run stats on the surveys. And it's not abundantly clear that the entire drive and battery system in a Bolt or any other EV should be lumped under "electrical system" which in a gas car is usually much less complicated. In a hybrid, problems with the transaxle, other drive electronics, and probably the HV battery would definitely be "drive train" related, and they should be in a Bolt.

That said, downchecking the car for mis- and un-performed recall work in the reliability section is probably wrong it the car did not in fact have a failure that took it out of service. Most of our Bolts haven't had that, and are still in use despite the recall. Perhaps some things had to be modified, and we're probably driving less pending the work, but the prospect of something happening limiting your use of the car probably does justify some amount of downcheck. But people do overreact. And the CR survey setup will be affected by that.

Did you notice, though, that Tesla has dropped in their survey to the 2nd worst reliability, beating only Lincoln?

 

That's the downside of CR's system. Reliability is based on the survey returns, not some objective (?) measure.

Problem is, that may be the best that an outside (of the car company) organization can do.

Did you notice, though, that Tesla has dropped in their survey to the 2nd worst reliability, beating only Lincoln?

Basically, the S, X, and Y have much worse than average reliability in their latest survey, while the 3 has average reliability. The Y is fairly new, and Tesla seems to have typical early-year-of-design reliability issues, and the X has always had reliability problems with the falcon wing doors. It is not all that obvious why the S would get significantly worse now than before, since the refresh (with the yoke and other changes) seems to be too new to have many cars out to be reported on. Panel gap/fit and paint seem to be common Tesla complaints generally.

 

I just logged on to Consumer Reports and saw the drop in reliability. Just got my 17 Bolt a few months ago and I was so excited to get such a reliable car. Trying to talk my friend into getting one, but now I am hesitant due to the drop in CR reliability. My heart sank when I saw the new scores. Does no one at CR monitor this stuff?

 

And the funny thing is, the Kia Niro EV just jumped up to most reliable car, when last month it was ranked really low. Feel like I am in Bizarro world!

 

I've contributed to CR surveys for 50 years, and put a good amount of faith in them. They loved the first gen Miata as much as C&D and MT did, so I got one, enjoying it for 15 years. CR liked the initial Bolt, as did the car mags, so I got a '17 on lease, and in June returned it for a paid-in-full '22 Bolt EV 2LT, and love it as much as the MIata. I'm a small car guy, not a computer-on-wheels fan.

 

It's very possible that enough people didn't follow directions when answering to push the reliability ratings down. Recalls are NOT supposed to be included when answering. Will post what the average problem rate for each system is when I get a chance. One of their most recent tables only goes as new as model year 2018 for some reason while prior ones went thru model year 2020.

It takes a very low % of people not following directions for this to happen.

 

This is what CR says about the survey and recalls:

We ask them to include problems covered by warranty, but not the ones resulting from accident damage or due solely to recall.

Note the use of the word "solely". I believe the Bolt fire risk qualifies the problem to be counted in the survey.

 

Since I have a Y on order, I follow websites and groups devoted to same. Delivery day, prepare thyself. Not on the checklist, go immediately to a touchless car wash for a water leak test.


A. Verify pre-delivery vehicle records

• Check for the correct full name and address on your paperwork.
• Confirm the vehicle’s VIN matches your paperwork.
• Bring written or digital proof of your down payment having been made and the final payment details
• Bring a printed insurance card.

B. Exterior inspection

• Inspect body exterior paint for defects.
• Inspect vehicle underside (front and rear) for signs of scraping, or damage.
• Check for any obvious body panel misalignment, or gaps. Especially the frunk gap, charge port, front and rear lights flush with hood/panels, glass roof panels aligned, no leaks.
• Inspect wheel rims for damage, and that all 4 valve stem covers on tires.
• Inspect all glass for signs of distortion, scratches, or cracks.
• Check for proper windshield and windshield trim installation.
• Inspect all edges of the roof glass panel and rear window.
• Test all doors to ensure they open and close without unreasonable effort or sound. Check paint in areas such as door hinges, that are not visible when doors are closed.
• Test opening and closing of the trunk with auto-close button. The door should latch and seal automatically.
• Test opening and closing of the frunk. Check paint in areas that are not visible when frunk and trunk are closed.
• Check for the towing eye under the frunk mat, and that it can be easily removed.
• Ensure door windows auto-close completely when doors are closed.
• Check all front and rear exterior lights for signs of internal condensation.
• With all doors open, inspect the weather seals around door gaps and windows. NOTE: Some deliveries have reported seals being “overlapped” incorrectly. This is easily fixed by hand in a few seconds, but worth noting.

C. In the driver seat

• Check for any error messages on the display screen.
• Touch the “Tesla T” at the top of the screen to bring up the “About Your Tesla” window. Tap the unicorn drawing to access the Sketch Pad. Leave the Sketch Pad up for a minute to make sure there are no phantom touches happening on the display.
• Gently test the driver and passenger door emergency release.
• Check all 4 windows to ensure they open and close properly.
• Make sure AC/Heat works at full power without strange noises.
• Test the sound system to ensure all speakers are working (move fade/balance to all four points to verify)
• Test the steering wheel position controls to ensure proper operation.
• Press the center of the steering wheel to make sure the vehicle’s horn works.
• Check windshield for distorted view.
• Test the windshield wipers.
• Test the rearview camera.
• Check side mirrors for proper operation of folding and position adjustment (minimal noise).
• Check sun-visor operation and mirror condition.
• Check the rearview mirror for any warping or distortion.

D. Interior inspection

• Inspect interior seat upholstery, door surfaces, dash, liner & carpets (including rear seats, frunk, and trunk).
• Check the windshield and windows for ripples in the glass.
• Check left and right clothing hook operation.
• Check all seat belts for proper operation.
• Both front seats don’t squeak when moving (check all directions of motion).
• Check the rear seats for proper fold-down operation.
• Try to lift the bottom of the back seat to ensure it is securely attached to its base.

E. Connectivity inspection

• Test connectivity in all USB ports (1 USB-A/1 USB-C in the front, 2 USB-C in the rear).
• Check 12 volt DC receptacle has power.
• Test connectivity of wireless phone charger.
• Music streaming & phone streaming work, radio reception is good.
• Test both key cards to ensure they work on B-pillar. Keep one key card on your person in case the phone app does not operate properly.
• Pair your smartphone to your vehicle over Bluetooth. Check functions work (unlock, precondition, etc)

F. Lighting inspection

• Vanity mirror lights, Front overhead driver & passenger lights.
• Rear overhead left & right side lights.
• Driver & passenger foot wells, Driver & passenger door pockets
• Rear left & right door pockets.
• Driver & passenger door puddle lights.
• Console middle compartment light, Console rear compartment light.
• All door latch button lights, All door window button lights.
• Steering wheel control lights.
• Glovebox light (check glovebox opening and closing).
• Frunk light.
• Trunk lights (2).
• Fog lights.
• Headlights (low & high-beam).
• Front park lights.
• Front turn signal lights, Left & right side turn signal lights.
• Rear running lights.
• Brake lights.

G. Inspect charging ability

• Check the charge port door for proper operation and alignment.
• Check charge port indicator light.
• Ensure the vehicle will accept a charge.
• Check the mobile charging kit with cable. Test it to ensure it works and each connector charge, latch, unlatch
• J1772 adapter.
• NEMA 5–15 120v adapter.
• NEMA 14–50 240v adapter.
• Test supercharger on site.

H. Final items

• Ask your delivery specialist to make sure that your car is marked as DELIVERED in Tesla’s network. There have been reports of cars being delivered and the phone app doesn’t allow log in the following day.
• Make sure you have copies of all paperwork necessary for good documentation of your purchase, including a copy of your signed purchase agreement. If your delivery specialist suggests that you can get your documents electronically on your Tesla account, ask for paper copies you can take with you anyway.

 

Since I have a Y on order, I follow websites and groups devoted to same. Delivery day, prepare thyself. Not on the checklist, go immediately to a touchless car wash for a water leak test.
...

• NEMA 14–50 240v adapter.

NEMA 14-50 adapter stopped being included with Teslas long ago. They now only include NEMA 5-15 with the mobile connector (Mobile Connector) + J1772 adapter.

I figured I'd resurrect this as I wouldn't be surprised if Bolt reliability stays bad the next go around (another 6 months to a year from when these results came out) or gets even worse due to many people not following directions due to the recall (see post 9) + all of these problems that we've seen a fair amount of post pack replacement:

• hitting the 80% charge limit after pack change due to a GM mistake so car has to go back
• hitting error due to low battery coolant after pack change due to dealer not using Vac-N-Fill
• charging port will not accept charging cable

Then you have the small # of people hitting the condition that Regen issues on '17-'19 with new battery and... fixes and a small set of people who've had their pack changed but then hit errors found to be caused by a defective replacement pack so their car needs another pack.

The average problem rates within a 12 month window for the model years listed at Car Reliability Histories are quite small. So, if the problems are as bad as I think, that could easily push one or more of those systems into the much worse than average bucket.

Then, judging by enough people who don't understand what the GOM is (I got tired of arguing with some of them), that they may come back w/incorrect expectations thinking there's something wrong w/the car (e.g. 238 * 1.08 = 257 miles so why I am not seeing a "range" of 257 miles).

 

The original "final remedy" software update caused some issues for people, both by design and by error. It was designed to prevent the car from being driven or charged if it detected a problem, but in some cases, also triggered a false positive regarding the hybrid positive contactor. It was reported a few times on the forum, so it's probably happened to several owners. Some owners took it in to the dealer and had to wait a long time for a replacement part. Other owners checked the forum first, and were able to clear the code by starting and shutting down 10 times in a row.

Service Vehicle Soon Warning Light - hybrid positive...

Last week the Service Vehicle Soon Warning Light illuminated. 2017 LT, 38,250 miles This morning the dealer did the scan and informed me that the hybrid positive contractor is stuck closed and will have to be replaced. The part has been ordered and should be available next week. Labor will take...

www.chevybolt.org

 

My bolt was a POS

 

I don't know if it still true but for a while CR had a drill-down option for the problem categories. I would also expect the battery fire issues to be counted under electric.

One way or another though, if the CR rating does not reflect the battery issues then the rating system is an abject failure.

 

Packard advertising from the 1920s genius headline,

"Ask the man who owns one."

When one reads this and the other couple of minor Bolt fora and filters out the recall hysteria, the concensus is the Bolt has been the most reliable car most of us have ever owned.

The "abundance of caution" frightened some, but that didn't make it less reliable; many of us kept on keeping on with daily use and daily charging.

In four-and-a-half years, our Bolt has never needed to go back to the dealer for any reason or any servicing. Owning countless cars and trucks in the past sixty years, that is unique, stellar; can't beat perfect reliability and zero maintenance cost.

jack vines