Teslas among least reliable used electric cars but batteries aren’t the biggest problem for ageing EVs

Tesla owners, look away now. That’s because a new report says older examples of Elon Musk’s cars are causing drivers more headaches than any other electric vehicles.

Exclusive data shared with the Daily Mail and This is Money by leading used warranty provider Warranty Solutions Group (WSG) shows the Tesla Model S is the EV that owners are most likely to make a repair claim on.

According to its data, more than one in three (34.8 per cent) warranty customers with Model S saloons – which first hit UK roads in 2014 – raised a claim in the 12 months between May 2025 and April 2026, with an average value of £1,012.

The Model X is also third on the EV list. Some 29.2 per cent of drivers of the brand’s largest SUV – which debuted in Britain in 2016 – made claims on their warranties for reliability issues that cost an average of £647 to put right.

In contrast, just 1.5 per cent of owners of the Renault Zoe electric supermini – which was in UK showrooms from 2012 to 2023 – have been forced to make claims to cover the cost of faults,  and they averaged just £130 per claim. 

It means owners of the more expensive Model S are 23 times more likely to have turned to their used warranty.

But contrary to popular belief, the report shows that it isn’t battery issues that are the biggest reliability gripe with electric cars. Instead, charging issues and complicated electrics are causing problems, which we explain in more detail below.

The figures are based on hundreds of thousands of used car owners with extended warranties in Britain.

WSG says it has analysed 2,500 claims relating to electric models – and only reported on cars where it has a minimum sample size of 50 claims in the last year. 

Also among the older EVs with the highest claims rates were two luxury Mercedes models: The EQV people carrier (33.3 per cent claim rate at an average cost of £697) and EQB SUV (25.7 per cent /£352).

At the opposite end of the reliability spectrum is a raft of more affordable electric cars, like the BMW i3.

The German compact hatchback – sold in Britain between 2013 and 2022 – had a claim rate of 2.2 per cent in the last 12 months. The average claim value was £264.

Also proving dependable are older examples of the MG ZS SUV, which has been available since 2017, with only 2.3 per cent of keepers of the Chinese family car turning to their extended warranties to cover the cost of pricey repairs.

The average claim value is also the lowest among the most reliable models at just £73.

The Nissan Leaf – on sale since 2011 – is also holding up very well, with just 2.4 per cent of owners claiming on their warranty. However, these claims can be expensive, with the average cost being £682.

And, in some much-needed good news for Mr Musk, the Tesla Model Y – on sale since 2021 – is proving to be the fifth most reliable electric car with only a 3.3 per cent claim rate and an average repair value of £283.

That said, the oldest examples of the SUV would have only run out of their vehicle warranty in the last two years, while Tesla’s battery coverage still protects the earliest examples until 2029.

Among the older EVs with the highest claims rates are the luxury Mercedes EQV people carrier, with a third of owners turning to their extended warranties to have issues resolved

Some 29.2% of WSG customers with Tesla Model X SUVs made claims on their warranties for reliability issues in the last year. The average cost of claims was £647

WSG says the gap between the strongest and weakest performers ‘highlights how EV reliability can vary considerably between individual models despite all vehicles sharing broadly similar electric drivetrains’.

Dennis Brett, its claims director, says the findings present ‘encouraging news’ that many electric vehicles are ‘proving exceptionally dependable’.

He added: ‘Models such as the Renault Zoe, BMW i3, MG ZS and Nissan Leaf are demonstrating very low claim rates, giving consumers growing confidence in used EV ownership.

‘However, our data also shows significant differences between individual models.

‘The findings reinforce why consumers should assess vehicles on a model-by-model basis rather than viewing EVs as a single category.

‘Reliability, repair severity and long-term ownership costs can vary significantly between vehicles.

‘As EVs continue to move into the mainstream, informed purchasing decisions and the right warranty protection will play an increasingly important role in maintaining consumer confidence.’

Tesla UK declined to comment on the findings when contacted by the Daily Mail and This is Money. 

At the opposite end of the reliability spectrum, it was the affordable Renault Zoe electric supermini with the lowest claim rate of just 1.5%

The BMW i3 had the second lowest extended warranty claim rate of all electric cars at 2.2%

Batteries not the biggest issue 

The report also revealed that it isn’t problems with batteries that are the biggest cause of claims.

Instead, it is charging system faults and increasingly complex electronics that have so far emerged as the biggest repair-cost challenges for EV owners.

EV battery issues are also less likely to rear their heads because they are covered under warranty by manufacturers for longer periods than the vehicle itself – as is the case with Tesla’s four-year vehicle warranty and eight-year battery warranty.

Charger port faults have represented 2.1 per cent of all claims in the last year. They generated average repair bills of £1,882, making them one of the most expensive recurring repairs identified in the study.

Meanwhile, central-locking faults were the most common issue recorded, accounting for 4.3 per cent of all EV claims, ahead of charge-flap actuator failures (3.6 per cent), suspension lower-arm repairs (2.9 per cent) and parking-sensor faults (2.9 per cent).

‘Despite concerns around battery degradation continuing to dominate public discussion, the findings demonstrate that many of today’s EV ownership challenges are beginning to mirror those seen within the wider vehicle parc,’ the warranty provider said.

‘Suspension components, sensors, locking systems and charging hardware are now featuring more prominently within warranty claims data as EVs age and mileages increase.

‘The findings suggest that as electric vehicles become more mainstream, ownership concerns are shifting away from fears around widespread battery failure and towards understanding the cost implications of maintaining increasingly sophisticated electrical systems.’

Charger port faults have represented 2.1% of all claims in the last year. They generated average repair bills of £1,882, making them one of the most expensive recurring repairs

EVs more expensive due to higher repair labour costs

Labour costs are also becoming an increasingly important factor for EVs.

WSG’s analysis found the average labour rate across all EV claims was £92 per hour, with labour accounting for 29.9 per cent of the total repair bill.

On average, EV repairs required two hours of labour, generating average costs of £207 per claim.

While electric vehicles often require less routine maintenance than petrol and diesel vehicles, the specialist diagnostics, software systems and high-voltage expertise required to repair modern EVs mean labour is becoming an increasingly significant contributor to overall ownership costs.

Separate analysis of EV repair costs v conventional petrol and diesel cars recently found that electric models take longer to fix following an accident – and are more costly to put right.

An EV’s repair cost is typically 19 per cent higher than the cost of repairing an internal combustion engine car.

Battery-electric models also spend, on average, 9 per cent longer in workshops, according to the latest AX (Accident Exchange) Repair Index published by the UK-based accident-management and aftercare specialist.

This is based on more than 40,000 vehicle repairs carried out during the 12-month period between March 2025 and February 2026.

The findings go against the general perception that EVs are cheaper and easier to mend because they have fewer moving parts.

Instead, AX says the overall higher repair burden for EVs is ‘placing a greater strain on the UK accident-repair sector, resulting in increased costs for UK motorists and insurers’.

The report comes amid mounting concerns about a lack of qualified technicians to work on EVs safely, which is also contributing to higher repair costs.

With the number of EVs on UK roads accelerating rapidly, just 35 per cent of technicians today hold qualifications to repair and service them, the Institute of the Motor Industry warns.

It forecasts that the number of EV-qualified technicians will increase in the next decade, reaching around 137,000 by 2032 and 193,000 by 2035.

However, certification to work on EVs will not accelerate anywhere near as fast as electric car registrations over the coming years. The institute says the gap between qualified technicians and EV volumes on the road will increase sharply from the early 2030s, with shortages beginning in 2033 and growing year by year.

By 2035, the projected shortfall rises to more than 43,000 technicians.

The IMI says there will be a ‘dangerous shortfall’ of qualified EV mechanics in just five years – and this could push repair costs even higher

Brett said: ‘One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding electric vehicles is that batteries are the primary source of faults. The reality is very different.

‘Our claims data shows that batteries account for a relatively small proportion of overall repairs. What we’re increasingly seeing are issues involving charging systems, electrical components, sensors and vehicle electronics.

‘While these faults may not occur frequently, they can be expensive when they do arise. Charger port repairs are a good example. They represent a small percentage of claims, yet average almost £1,900 per repair.’

Despite many of the most common EV faults being relatively inexpensive to rectify, WSG’s analysis identified several high-value repairs that demonstrate the potential financial impact when major electrical components fail.

The largest EV warranty claim paid by WSG over the 12-month period was £4,801 for a Jaguar I-Pace requiring extensive battery-system repairs.

The top ten most expensive claims were dominated by premium EVs, with Jaguar, Porsche, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Ford all featuring in the ranking.