Consumer Reports drops its Tesla Model S recommendation

Once upon a time, Consumer Reports gave the Tesla Model S P85D its highest rating ever, but the love affair is over, for now. While it still loves the way the sedan drives, the review organization has concluded after its Annual Auto Reliability Survey that reports from 1,400 owners show the cars have a "worse-than-average overall problem rate." While it also noted that these problems are mostly covered by Tesla's four year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty or its eight year, unlimited mileage powertrain warranty, it still decided the vehicle isn't deserving of its "Recommended" rating. In response, Tesla says it strives to make hardware fixes "painless," and noted that the study also found owners rated the company's service as the best in the world.

After the news came out this morning, Tesla's stock price dropped from a high of $228, to as low as $202. While it has recovered some of that, there's still concern over whether it's up to the task of increasing production of the popular EVs, and rolling out new versions like the Model X. If you're currently in the market for a P85D, we're guessing Ludicrous mode and Autopilot outweigh a potentially finicky powertrain, malfunctioning door handle or squeaky sunroof, but only time will tell how these cars age as more of them hit the road.

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[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]