Why Do Tesla Owners Shrug Off Quality Problems?

Buyers who are spending $100,000 or more for a Tesla Model S or Model X electric car aren’t deterred from quality glitches that would have a “dramatically negative effect” on conventional luxury brands, according to market researchers J.D. Power.

Consumer Reports reported the same phenomenon last month in its annual ranking of brands in terms of performance, reliability, satisfaction and safety. Tesla ranked eighth out of 31 brands, thanks in large part to a high owner satisfaction score that offset a below-average reliability rating.

Tesla’s sales volumes have been too low to qualify for Power’s closely followed Initial Quality Study. But the firm’s new report, Tesla: Beyond the Hype, offers insights into the marque’s unusually loyal customers.

Power says Tesla owners consider themselves technology pioneers. They’re also likely to own multiple vehicles, which allows them to be more forgiving about mechanical and electronic problems with their EV. Power says Tesla customers have formed a powerful emotional attachment to their vehicles and the company in spite of any shortcomings of the cars themselves.

The Power report cautions that buyers of Tesla’s upcoming $35,000 Model 3 electric sedan aren’t likely to be so tolerant about quality issues. Power says the car, Telsa’s first mass-market model, will be the primary vehicle for most of its owners. As a result, the report warns, “the degree of expectation will increase immensely.”