Consumer Reports Discusses Flaws in Tesla's Model 3

When you are buying a vehicle, it is a good idea to do your due diligence carefully because purchasing a car can be expensive and you will likely have the vehicle for a very long time. It is also important to understand your rights in case the car turns out to have serious defects.

An Orange County lemon law attorney can offer assistance if you end up with a car that has major problems. Your attorney can help you to understand and pursue the legal remedies that are available – but the process can still be complicated so you'll be better off if your car has no issues.

Unfortunately, car problems can happen to anyone. In fact, car issues are not limited to inexpensive and obscure vehicles, but instead there are a long list of well-known high-end vehicles that have been released and that turned out to be dangerous.  One recent example is the Tesla Model 3, which CBS News reports has a major flaw identified by Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports Explains the Flaws in the Model 3

According to CBS News, the Tesla Model 3 was released in 2016 in order to provide a lower-priced electric car offering that could potentially help Tesla break into the crowded mass auto market.  Unfortunately, Consumer Reports identified a number of issues with the Tesla Model 3, including one serious flaw.

According to Consumer Reports, the biggest issue that should cause consumers to think twice about buying a Tesla Model 3 is the fact that the vehicle has a long stopping distance and the operation of the brakes is inconsistent. For example, Consumer Reports conducted a test to see how long it would take the car to stop if the driver was traveling 60 miles per hour. The vehicles performed very poorly on that test.

The Model 3 had a stopping distance of 152 feet, which was described by Consumer Reports as the worst contemporary car that they've seen. The average luxury car, on the other hand, has a stopping distance of just 131 feet, so obviously Tesla has some serious catching up to do regarding making braking more effective.  A longer stopping distance means a greater potential for a crash, so this big flaw is a very serious one that could compromise safety.

Consumer Reports also noted that the driver controls on the Tesla Model 3 vehicle are poorly positioned. Plus, because the dashboard has no buttons or gauges, drivers end up needing to use the touch screen more often, even to do basic tasks such as changing the air conditioning in the vehicle. 

These reviews are not the first negative commentary to raise similar issues, as these complaints are also being brought to the forefront by reviews from many different websites including Green Car Reports.

Problems with the Tesla Model 3 are just one of many examples of situations where a car sold to consumers has serious safety issues. An Orange County lemon law attorney can provide help to those who end up with a vehicle that has defects. Give us a call today to learn about your options for pursuing legal remedies.