Many auto makers have introduced electric vehicles in recent years, but Tesla vehicles also tout luxury, autonomous driving features and increased safety.
Interestingly, Tesla vehicles have come under scrutiny and received harsh critiques by consumer intelligence and research firms as well as individual vehicle owners.
J.D. Power study ranks Tesla quality low
CNBC recently reported on results from a 2020 Initial Quality Study conducted by J.D. Power indicating that Tesla scored significantly lower than other vehicle manufacturers. The study polled vehicle owners about their experiences in the first 90 days of ownership. A total of 31 brands received higher quality ratings than Tesla. The study further discovered that automobiles with more sophisticated technologies received lower quality scores than did their more basic counterparts.
Class action lawsuit against Tesla expands
The Mercury News indicates that in January of this year, numerous consumers who had purchased Tesla vehicles filed a class-action lawsuit against the company. The suit included consumers from six states and alleged that the vehicles automatically accelerated without any action or direction from the drivers. In some cases, accidents resulted.
In early July, more consumers joined the suit that now includes owners from 11 states. In addition to the class-action lawsuit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received complaints about the acceleration issue. The allegations include the Tesla Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles. One consumer indicated their vehicle speed forward into an intersection while stopped at a red light, resulting in a collision with two other vehicles. Details of the demands being made are not known at this time.