EV disputes brought by consumers to The Motor Ombudsman in Q2 2024
Overview of EV disputes brought to The Motor Ombudsman relative to UK new car registrations and the car parc
Before looking at the profile and volume of electric vehicle (EV) disputes received by The Motor Ombudsman from consumers during the previous quarter, it is important to understand the trend of EV disputes in relation to both EV and non-EV new car registrations (i.e. petrol, diesel and hybrid models), and the overall EV and non-EV parc.
When looking at disputes on an annual basis, and the four-year car parc in Tables 1 and 2 below, it is possible to conclude that EVs generate far fewer complaints per vehicle than non-EV equivalents. This can be illustrated by the fact that, when based on the four-year parc (including an estimated full-year forecast for 2024 based on H1 data), if 6,041,623 new EVs were to be registered, they would only be subject to 21,339 disputes, compared to 94,160 for non-EVs (i.e. petrol, diesel, and hybrid models), thereby highlighting the lower proportion of disputes for EVs overall versus their combustion-engined counterparts.
Overview of EV disputes received in Q2 2024
The second quarter of 2024 saw 502 battery electric vehicle (EV) complaints brought by consumers to The Motor Ombudsman (TMO), which was slightly above the volume seen in the first three months of this year (492).
It is also the highest number of EV-related disputes logged with The Motor Ombudsman in a single quarter, and the first time that complaints have surpassed the 500-mark for a quarterly period.
Nearly 1,000 EV disputes have been recorded by The Motor Ombudsman for the first six months of 2024, which is nearly double the volume seen at the same point last year (564) – see Table 3.
Furthermore, the amount of disputes submitted in Q2 (502) equates to a 73% rise versus the number recorded between 01 April and 30 June 2023 (291). This mirrors the growing parc and EV new car registrations in the UK during the past 12 months (as seen in the table below), and a greater proportion of disputes relating to used examples versus brand new models in the second quarter.
When looking at the main issues encountered by consumers with an EV during the second quarter of 2024, they are as follows:
1. Customer service and purchase issues (29%)
The standard of customer service delivered at the point of purchase or during ownership, sparked the highest volume of complaints during the second quarter of this year at nearly a third of disputes, continuing the trend of this category being the most prominent out of the eight highlighted in this analysis.
In Q2, examples of some of the concerns that drove consumers to lodge a complaint, were namely, damaged vehicles at the point of delivery, cars missing service history records, being asked to pay more than the advertised deposit, and customers being charged for courtesy vehicles whilst theirs were off the road.
2. Chassis and motor issues (18%)
The chassis and motor area of an EV generated the second largest number of complaints by consumers between April and June, with unresponsive braking systems and seizing gearboxes responsible for generating some of the discontent amongst owners. Similarly, premature tyre wear, and blow-outs, also drove the occurrence of disputes, as did electric motor failures, and squealing and knocking noises from wheels.
3. Electrical and software issues (16%)
An EV’s electronics infrastructure sparked the third biggest volume of disputes, with the likes of open circuit and high voltage cable faults, and vehicles not connecting to mobile networks all causing concern. Similarly, issues with central locking systems, apps still being registered to previous owners when consumers bought a used model, and vehicles failing to start, were additional worries raised in Q2.
4. Interior and cabin systems issues (10%)
Interior fixtures and associated cabin systems were also not spared from complaints. Examples of matters that were brought to the attention of The Motor Ombudsman during the last quarter, included infotainment systems rebooting on a regular basis, screens cracking during periods of cold weather, cabin lighting going off when headlamps were illuminated, and water ingress causing damage.
5. Battery issues (9%)
Batteries are one of the most critical elements for electric vehicles, meaning the presence of any faults can have a significant impact on their function. The principal concern that plagued consumers during the second quarter were namely, repeated failures causing outages and breakdowns, with high voltage batteries in particular, proving problematic.
6. Exterior issues (9%)
Consumers equally encountered concerns with an EV’s bodywork and external features during the last three months. Moisture and water ingress issues were front and centre, causing rear taillights to mist, and light clusters to stop working. In addition, amongst the problems cited by owners in their case submissions during Q2, were wheel fender flares detaching whilst driving, and charging doors remaining shut, thereby preventing the replenishment of batteries, and the usage of vehicles.
7. Charging issues (5%)
A vehicle not being able to charge to its full potential impacts range and usage. Issues raised by consumers, amongst others, were not being able to use public fast chargers, vehicles drawing too much power from other on-board systems whilst charging, and an inability to charge during off-peak hours.
8. Range issues (4%)
Complaints about not achieving the advertised range for a full charge were once again few and far between in Q2, and resulted in the lowest proportion of EV cases being logged with The Motor Ombudsman at just 4%.
Average consumer claim value
For consumers who stated a monetary value to resolve their dispute, the average stood at £9,906 for the past three months, down 20% from the figure of £12,451 seen during Q1 2024.
To view and download the infographic below as a PDF, please click here.
To view and download The Motor Ombudsman’s thought leadership paper on electric vehicle disputes as a PDF, please click here.
