Used electric cars: years to avoid and the most consistent models
We checked every model year from 2011 to 2022 of 5 popular electric cars. Each car is compared with its own other model years, so a big seller is not penalized for having more owners.
Popular electric cars with no standout bad year since 2011
No model year in this period had more than twice the typical complaints of the same car. This shows consistency, not that a model has few problems: a car with the same problem every year also appears here, so check its most common problems. Sorted by number of owner complaints, as a rough measure of popularity.
| Model | Best years | Typical score | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 201920202021 | 68 | 4,407 |
Electric car model years to avoid
Model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car.
| Car | vs typical year | Score | Main problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV | 3.9x | 24 | Steering |
| 2019 Nissan Leaf | 3.8x | 23 | Electrical |
| 2015 Tesla Model S | 3.8x | 21 | Electrical |
| 2016 Tesla Model S | 3.6x | 21 | Suspension |
| 2013 Tesla Model S | 2.6x | 35 | Electrical |
| 2020 Nissan Leaf | 2.5x | 38 | Electrical |
| 2017 Tesla Model S | 2.4x | 37 | Electrical |
| 2016 Tesla Model X | 2.3x | 38 | Suspension |
| 2014 Tesla Model S | 2.1x | 41 | Electrical |
| 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV | 2.0x | 44 | Electrical |
Every electric car we rate
Years to avoid and best years between 2011 and 2022.
| Model | Years to avoid | Best years |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Bolt EV | 20172019 | |
| Nissan Leaf | 20192020 | 201420162017 |
| Tesla Model 3 | None stand out | 201920202021 |
| Tesla Model S | 20132014201520162017 | 201220192020 |
| Tesla Model X | 2016 | 201920202021 |
How these rankings work
We do not compare raw complaint counts between models, because a car that sells ten times more gets more complaints. Each model year is compared with the other years of the same car, and only model years with at least four years on the road count.
Questions about the used electric cars
Which used electric car models have no bad years?
Among popular models, these have no model year with more than twice the usual complaints since 2011: Tesla Model 3. That means no year stands out, not that they have no problems, so check each model's most common problems before you buy.
Which electric car years should I avoid?
The model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car are 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2019 Nissan Leaf, 2015 Tesla Model S, 2016 Tesla Model S and 2013 Tesla Model S.
Other rankings
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