Disgruntled electric car owners have made a record number of complaints this year

Dissatisfied and dissatisfied electric car owners filed a record number of complaints about their vehicles in the first three months of 2023.

The Motor Ombudsman said it received the highest number of complaints per quarter between January and March, with a total of 273 disputes registered, 163 percent more than the same period in 2022 (104).

It said this is a reflection of the increasing number of electric cars on the road, although the numbers pointed to a number of diverging concerns from owners.

About a third of all complaints were about customer service at the point of purchase of an electric car and a fifth related to components such as the chassis, brakes, suspension and wheels.

One of the largest percentage increases in complaints was around range, with twice as many drivers reporting they were unable to travel the distance specified by the automaker on a full charge.

The vast majority of EV complaints were sent to the ombudsman in March, which is traditionally one of the two largest months for new car sales.

Some 115 complaints were recorded in March alone, representing more than two in five (42 percent) of all consumer concerns raised – the first time the ombudsman has witnessed more than 100 electric car contacts in one month .

Customer service and consumer experience when buying an electric car accounted for nearly a third (32 percent) of complaints in the first quarter, up from 27 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

Among the issues raised were delays in the delivery of a new electric car and the poor handover process in picking up their battery-powered motor.

Incorrect vehicle specifications at the time of delivery due to parts shortages was another common grumble, as was miscommunication about a vehicle’s history when it was sold.

Of those who experienced purchasing issues, about 70 percent related to a brand new car, the data shows.

Most complaints were received in March. In fact, it is the first time that more than 100 electric car problems have been reported in one month

However, many drivers complained about problems with the vehicles themselves, accounting for one-fifth (21 percent) of all EV-related bickering in the first quarter.

This was the same percentage of complaints filed in the same three months of 2022, with sources of dissatisfaction stemming from brake, suspension and wheel issues.

Increase in complaints about EV range and charging

One of the biggest increases in complaint areas was vehicle range.

The number of motorists saying they were dissatisfied because they couldn’t get close to claimed travel distances on a full charge grew from 6 per cent in 2022 to 12 per cent this year – although the ombudsman said this was largely due to reduced battery capacity in colder winter temperatures.

About 12% of all complaints brought to the Ombudsman related to non-compliance with the ‘official’ claimed range on a full battery, while 6% complained about charging problems

The fourth most common complaint (accounting for 10 percent of all complaints) by EV drivers was about interior and cabin systems, up from 7 percent in 2022.

These include failures of equipment in the car, such as faulty USB ports, interfaces for climate control, heating and car microphones, preventing the use of such features, the ombudsman said.

And electrical and software failures also affected 9 percent of those who filed complaints about an electric car between January and March.

Vehicles not recognizing keys, apps not working due to software glitches, and electrical issues causing security system malfunctions were all among the issues highlighted in the filings filed over the past three months.

Another 6 percent of the issues were related to charging issues and related primarily to main charger failures within the first few months of ownership and the vehicle’s inability to fully charge due to software issues.

Of those who filed a complaint related to an electric vehicle so far this year, more than a quarter (27 percent) received a full refund to end their dispute, followed by compensation (17 percent) and rejection of the claim. vehicle (16 percent).

The remaining 40 percent are unsolved or no solution has been found.

Additionally, for those motorists who attributed a monetary amount to their desired outcomes, the average value was £13,000 – a marked increase from £10,800 recorded over the same period in 2022.

Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman, said: ‘Reflecting the trend seen over the past two years, a company’s level of customer service and a consumer’s experience at the time of purchasing an EV were the most notable elements of dissatisfaction during the first quarter of 2023.

In addition, expectations that a consumer’s car would achieve its quoted range on a full charge were also one of the main talking points, with wider variations in the actual numbers being achieved becoming more apparent in the cooler temperatures we’ve been experiencing since the turn of the century. . year.’

Bill added: “It is clear that the number of complaints about electric cars is steadily increasing, in line with the upward trend in sales towards 2030.

While there are common trends that we identify and feed back to the industry in terms of the types of issues raised by consumers, these remain a very small minority among the thousands of complaints handled by our dispute resolution service each month, which is encouraging .’