It reports the average compensation sought rose to £13,000 ($AU24,000), a marked increase from the £10,800 ($AU21,800) recorded in Q1 2022.

A total of 273 disputes were logged during the first quarter of this year, compared to 104 for the same period in 2022.

While the number of complaints reflects the ever-increasing demand for pure battery-driven models, in March alone 115 complaints were received from consumers about EVs. This was the first time that The Motor Ombudsman’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service had witnessed more than 100 contacts about an electric car in a single month.

The majority of the complaints were about customer service and a consumer’s experience at the point of buying an electric car; making up nearly a third of complaints (32 per cent) in the first quarter, up from 27 per cent in Q1 2022. 

The trends recorded are a foretaste of the kind of issues we are likely to see in Australia as the EV market develops here.

Examples of dissatisfaction that resulted in motorists bringing their complaint to The Motor Ombudsman, included: 

• Cancellations and delays for the delivery and handover of new vehicle orders
• Incorrect vehicle specifications at the point of delivery due to parts shortages
• The miscommunication about the provenance of a vehicle when it was sold. 

Around 70 per cent were in relation to a brand new car with the remainder from used vehicles.

The agency said that for the first quarter of 2023, the vehicle chassis area was responsible for causing around a fifth (21 per cent) of electric vehicle complaints – the same proportion as Q1 2022.

Sources of discontent stemmed from problems with the brakes, suspension and wheels. 

Range gained greater prominence in the opening three months of this year at 12 per cent (versus 6 per cent in Q1 2022), with many EV owners reporting that they were unable to travel the distance on a full charge quoted by a retailer or manufacturer. The agency said the problem was accentuated by reduced battery capacity in colder weather during winter.

Interior and cabin systems issues (accounting for 10 per cent of disputes in Q1 2023 – a slight rise versus 7 per cent for Q1 2022) were the fourth biggest cause of consumer concerns between January and March. 

Aesthetics-related problems such as defective seat trim and scratches on the centre console and door handles on a new car were amongst the issues raised by customers. 

Vehicle owners also expressed concern about failures of in-car equipment such as faulty USB ports, climate control interfaces, heating and in-car microphones, preventing the use of such features.

Electrical and software glitches plagued 9 per cent of those who submitted complaints between January and March. Vehicles not recognising keys, apps not working due to software malfunctions and electrical problems causing safety system failures, were all amongst the issues highlighted in submissions during the past three calendar months.

Issues regarding the exterior of the car made up 6 per cent of EV disputes reported since the start of 2023.  This included vehicles sold with broken door latches, automatic wing mirrors locking in the closed position, overspray paint on the door sill and grazes on the alloys at the point of handover.

Vehicle charging problems accounted for 6 per cent of complaints in the first quarter. These were principally orientated around failures of the main charging unit within the first months of ownership as well as the inability for the vehicle to charge to its potential due to software issues. 

Post-purchase frustrations originating from batteries included them going flat or draining too quickly. These were responsible for the smallest number of concerns at just 4 per cent of issues reported since the start of 2023.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said that a full refund emerged as the most desired resolution for 27 per cent of consumers to help bring their dispute to a close. This was followed by compensation (17 per cent) and the rejection of the vehicle (16 per cent). 

The average financial compensation sought by owners was £13,000 ($AU24,000), a marked rise from the £10,800 ($AU21,800) recorded in Q1 2022.

Mr Fennell said in a statement: “Reflecting the trend seen during the past two years, the level of customer service provided by a business and a consumer’s experience at the point of buying an electric vehicle were the most notable elements of discontent during the first quarter of 2023. 

“Furthermore, expectations that a consumer’s car should achieve the quoted range for a full charge was also one of the main talking points, with greater variations in the actual figures being achieved becoming more noticeable in the cooler temperatures that we experienced since the turn of the year.”

Mr Fennell said: “It is clear that the volume of complaints about EVs is steadily rising in line with the upward trajectory in sales on the approach to 2030. 

“Although there are common trends that we are identifying and feeding back to industry in terms of the types of problems being raised by consumers, these continue to remain a very small minority amongst the thousands of complaints that are handled by our dispute resolution service every month, which is encouraging.”

By John Mellor