5 Of The Most Unreliable Used Electric Cars To Stay Away From

It's impossible not to notice the increasing presence of electric vehicles on the roads in recent years. Government incentives for EV purchases and growing awareness of environmental concerns have combined to boost EV sales quarter after quarter.

Cox Automotive predicts that a million EVs will be sold in the United States in 2023, more than double the number that were sold in 2021.

While the growing demand for EVs will require an expansion in both the charging infrastructure beyond urban areas and more EV battery recycling centers, it's clear that these emissions-friendly cars and trucks are the way of the automotive future.

Although there are certainly some laudable standouts among the current EV offerings, there are also many electric vehicles out there that have been plagued by frequent breakdowns, battery fires, recalls, and other significant problems. Let's take a look at five EVs that you will want to steer clear of when shopping on the used vehicle market.

In hindsight, even Tesla CEO Elon Musk thinks the Model X was a mistake. When the Model X was launched in 2015, he told Business Insider, "I'm not sure anyone should have made this car. We probably should have just [modified the Model S]. There are so many more features and difficult-to-build parts on [the Model X] than it is necessary for us to sell the cars."

Those features included the problematic front gullwing and rear "falcon-wing" doors, a bioweapon air-filtration system, and 3.2 second 0-60 time.

In the years since its release, the Model X has been the subject of 24 NHTSA safety recalls, including ones for faulty seat belts, airbags, collision avoidance, and autonomous driving systems.

The massive windshield is also prone to cracking, and defective front stabilizer bar bushings have led many Model X owners to complain about suspension noise.

The recalls and notable issues have driven down the Model X's value in the used car marketplace. While the P90D version originally carried a sticker price of well over $100,000, at least one used example can be found for about half that today. But considering all the potential problems that a used Model X might come with, savvy buyers might want to stay away from the Model X's siren song.

Another EV that provided limited range for drivers was the 2019 Smart EQ ForTwo, which was powered by a measly 17 kWh battery and 80 horsepower motor that together gave it a range of less than 60 miles and a tortoise-like 11.4 second 0-60 time. 

The ForTwo's 22.8 ft. turning radius and 106-inch length made it suitable for city use, but the diminutive battery pack and tiny footprint made it an impractical choice for suburban commuters or longer road trips, even though it could be fully charged in about three hours on a 240-volt charger. The ForTwo performed well in crash tests, but in their review, Autotrader noted, " In a country filled with SUVs, trucks and big rigs, you can feel pretty vulnerable despite that safety cell." 

Smart ForTwo models made up the fleet of vehicles for the Car2go on-demand car rental service, which folded after Daimler ended production of the ForTwo in the US and Canada after the 2019 model year ended. 

Volkswagen generated heaps of negative press with the Dieselgate scandal in the mid-2010s, but that era was not necessarily the greatest stretch of time for VW's electric-powered line of vehicles either.

While deceptive business practices were to blame for the emissions scandals surrounding VW's diesel models, the issues with the 2015 and 2016 e-Golf appear to be engineering failures and not corporate ones.

In 2016, Volkswagen issued a recall for the e-Golf's battery management system, cautioning owners that the system could incorrectly sense that the batteries were overheating and shut down the drive system suddenly, possibly causing a crash. The issue could be fixed with a software update, but that update had to be performed at a dealership and could not be done remotely. Owners also frequently reported issues with 2015 and 2016 models not starting or charging properly.

In the wake of Dieselgate, Volkswagen responded quickly and decisively in the interest of both consumers and their own public image when it came to the e-Golf battery issue. But in 2020, the e-Golf was discontinued in favor of the ID line. 

Tesla's reliability and build quality issues are not limited to the overcomplicated Model X. The 2013 Model S has also been the subject of multiple NHTSA recalls and consumer complaints, although at least Elon Musk has stopped short of calling the Model S a mistake. 

The 2013 Model S has seen 7 NHTSA recalls, and while some are for non-critical issues like the backup camera display or power steering, in 2018 the NHTSA warned owners that the passenger airbag inflator could explode, resulting in serious injury or death. 

Three Model S cars also caught fire after front-end crashes, and the Washington Post reported that at least five Model S cars caught fire while charging in garages overnight. Those fires have not been conclusively blamed on any manufacturing defect and in at least one case — that of Spokane, Washington resident Harold Harriston's Model S — the spontaneous fire turned out to be a case of arson and not an issue with Tesla's lithium-ion batteries. 

While the 2019 Fiat 500e might be a slightly more dependable way to get around than an e-Golf or a Model X, it's still a fairly awful choice as a daily driver when all factors are considered. First off are the 24kWh battery bank and pint-sized 111-hp motor that together provide a range of just 84 miles. The 500e is the only car on this list that was not subject to any recalls, although the 500e was given an overall rating of "poor" by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety for its ability to protect the driver in a crash. 

The interior is tiny, making the driving and riding experience uncomfortable for all but the smallest of humans. This difficult and potentially dangerous experience came at a sticker price of nearly $35,000 when new, although if you have a short commute and are of short stature you can find examples in good condition for less than $10,000 on the used marketplace today.