Tire Wear Is Especially Bad For Electric Vehicles, J.D. Power Says

Rankings for electric vehicles plummeted in J.D. Power’s recent dependability study.

Long-term vehicle dependability has declined across the automotive industry, consumer insights and data analytics firm J.D. Power said in its recently released 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Particularly striking is electric cars ranking far below their gas-powered counterparts. Higher tire wear is a “sore spot” for EVs, and smartphone apps are troublesome, leading to a lower dependability score, J.D. Power said.

The study found that the owners of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids experienced far more problems than gas cars. On average, ICE cars experienced 187 problems per 100 vehicles, PHEVs witnessed 216 problems, while BEVs fared far worse with a score of 256 problems per 100 vehicles over three years of ownership. Lexus and Toyota were the least troublesome—which is hardly a surprise—while Tesla fared rather poorly.

To measure the dependability of a brand, J.D. Power analyzed nine major problems reported by owners, including driver assistance features, driving experience, exterior, infotainment, interior, powertrain, and seats among others.

It’s worth noting that this data has some limitations. We only have information regarding tires and infotainment systems for this story. J.D. Power hasn’t said much about the reliability of batteries, drivetrain, and range and performance in its report. So it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison with gas cars. There are several variables outlined later in the story that should be considered before drawing any conclusions about EVs.

In a nutshell, it’s best to approach this data with caution.

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