Model Y drags down Tesla's ranking in annual reliability survey by Consumer Reports

Tesla Inc's newly introduced Model Y crossover, which has had body-hardware and paint issues, dragged down the electric carmaker's standing in Consumer Reports magazine's annual reliability study.

Owners of the Model Y, which began production in January, have reported misaligned body panels that had to be fixed and mismatched paint including, in one case, human hair stuck in the paint, according to Consumer Reports. The Model Y finished with a "much worse than average" reliability rating.

Tesla's ranking would have risen a few spots if not for the Model Y's performance, said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports.

New models often have reliability issues, but Tesla's problems were not typical.

"I am surprised that we would see just basic paint and trim type issues and body panel fitment issues," he said in an interview. "You would think that that would have been worked out a long time ago."

"Really disappointing when you spend this much money for a car and hopefully they'll be able to rectify a lot of these as time goes by," Fisher added.

Tesla's ranking slipped two spots to No. 25 out of 26 brands rated in the U.S. market, ahead of only Ford Motor Co's Lincoln luxury brand, according to the annual survey released on Thursday.

The Tesla Model S sedan and Model X SUV were both "worse than average, with the former losing its "recommended" status, Fisher said. The Model 3 sedan maintained an "average" rating and its "recommended" status.

The poll predicts which new cars will give owners fewer or more problems, based on data collected for more than 300,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2020. Its scorecard is influential among consumers and industry executives.