This rating is part of a large-scale WhatCar study, during which foreign journalists surveyed 13,000 British drivers about breakdowns that occurred over the last year of ownership with their "iron horse," the cost of repairs, and the time it took to fix a particular fault.
As a result, a rating of the TOP-10 most reliable electric cars and TOP-3 most unreliable ones was compiled as of 2021.
The most reliable electric vehicles and hybrids
10. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (2014-present)
Reliability rating: 97.8%
Among all surveyed owners of hybrid Outlanders, only 14% encountered breakdowns. Moreover, these were minor "moments" – related to the body, interior trim, and electronics. That is, the cars remained drivable. The breakdowns themselves were fixed within a day or even faster, and in 2/3 of cases, repairs were carried out under warranty.
9. BMW i3 (2013-present)
Reliability rating: 97.9%
Less than 12% of owners encountered breakdowns. The faults mainly concerned infotainment systems and interior trim (the car could still be driven). A third of the cars were repaired in less than a day, another third within a week, and the remaining hatchbacks took more than seven days. In all cases, the work was done under warranty.
8. Honda CR-V Hybrid (2018-present)
Reliability rating: 97.9%
Only 8% of CR-V hybrids failed. There was only one problem – with the electric motor, but it did not deprive owners of the ability to drive. In all cases, the issue was resolved under warranty within one day.
7. Toyota Corolla (2018-present)
Reliability rating: 98.4%
The Corolla broke down during the year in only 5% of owners of this model. The problem lay in the onboard 12-volt battery. Repairs took more than a week, but in all cases they were carried out free of charge.
6. Hyundai Kona Electric (2018-present)
Reliability rating: 98.5%
Only 7% of electric crossovers failed, though the faults concerned exclusively the 12-volt battery, so the car could still be driven. Recovery took more than a week, but it was still done under warranty.
5. Lexus RX (2016-present)
Reliability rating: 99.1%
The hybrid Lexus upset only 4% of owners out of the total number. The fault lay in the electrical system, but it could be fixed quite quickly – within a day or less.
4. Toyota RAV4 (2019-present)
Reliability rating: 99.2%
Toyota has long been famous for its reliability, and the hybrid RAV4 with a "failure rate" of 7% is no exception. The cause of the breakdown was only one – the onboard battery. The problem was solved in one day and free of charge, and until it was fixed, the car could be driven without any issues.
3. Lexus NX (2014-present)
Reliability rating: 99.3%
The NX's problem is the electrical system. However, it occurred only in 4% of crossovers. It was resolved in less than a day and under warranty.
2. Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)
Reliability rating: 99.4%
In the WhatCar rating, the Tesla "three" turned out to be the most reliable executive car and the most reliable electric vehicle. Problems occurred in only 5% of owners of the California sedans, and all faults were resolved in less than a day without any impact on the owners' wallets.
1. Toyota Yaris Hybrid (2011-2020)
Actually, the winner of the rating. The situation is similar to Tesla: only 5% of problematic cars, repairs under warranty and in less than a day.
The most unreliable electric vehicles and hybrids
3. Toyota Prius (2016-present)
Overall, the Prius is a reliable car, but it loses significantly compared to direct competitors. 14% of owners encountered breakdowns, and exactly half of such hybrids were repaired under warranty.
2. MG ZS EV (2019-present)
The MG electric crossover broke down in 7% of motorists. The faults lay in the battery, electric motor, and electrical system. It took more than a week to fix them, but there is also a positive aspect – all costs were covered by the dealer.
1. Tesla Model S (2014-present)
But the Tesla Model S has big problems with reliability: the survey showed that as many as 60% of owners of such electric vehicles encountered some problems. The cars remained drivable, but repairing the faults took more than a week. 93% of the "S" models were fixed free of charge.
Note
Interestingly, this rating has changed little over more than six months. In November 2020, WhatCar already published the results of a study on the most reliable electric vehicles and hybrids (however, AutoPortal did not adapt them for its readers), and then the TOP of the best was exactly the same. Changes occurred only in the list of outsiders: the new MG crossover was added to the Prius and Tesla. This indirectly indicates that so far cars are consistently demonstrating their degree of reliability in the long term.
