The EV maker climbed to ninth place out of 26 brands, a dramatic rise from 17th last year and a far cry from its near-bottom placement in 2022.

Consumer Reports credited the improvement to steady build-quality gains and Tesla’s “standout” electric drive system, noting that the company’s aging lineup is ironically working in its favour.

With models like the veteran Model S, Tesla has had years to refine manufacturing quirks, improving consistency without the disruption of frequent redesigns.

The exception is the Cybertruck, which remains Tesla’s lone vehicle with below-average reliability.

But while Tesla is finally winning over Consumer Reports, the company is struggling on the other side of the Atlantic.

European registrations fell 12.3 per cent year-on-year in November, and a brutal 36.3 per cent drop when excluding Norway’s tax-policy-driven surge.

Markets such as France (-57.8 per cent), Sweden (-59.3 per cent), the Netherlands (-43.5 per cent) and Germany (-20.2 per cent) all posted double-digit declines despite broader EV interest.

Norway was the lone outlier, jumping 175 per cent as buyers rushed ahead of 2026 tax changes, a fluke rather than a trend.

Analysts point to intensifying Chinese competition from brands like BYD, widening model availability from legacy automakers, and growing consumer discomfort with Tesla boss Elon Musk’s political antics as key factors eroding the company’s European position.

So while Tesla’s reliability is finally looking up in the U.S., the company now faces a more complicated challenge abroad.