Tesla has slammed the results of the What Car? Reliability Survey 2018 as “statistically meaningless” after survey responses from 28 UK Model S owners saw it finish bottom of the annual manufacturer ranking.

The US-based premium EV brand said that the low number of respondents among its 18,000 car owners in the UK were at odds with both its customer satisfaction scores for Model S and X – at well over 90% – as well as “statistically valid” surveys including its Net Promotor Score and Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey, which it has topped every year since 2013.

In a statement issued to AM What Car? stood by its survey results, stating that Tesla owners represented 0.19% of what was a very robust total sample of 18,000 UK car owners in the What Car? survey considering the brand’s 0.11% UK market share.

A What Car? spokesman said: “This means that the What Car? Study was more than representative of Tesla’s real-world presence in the British car parc.”

But Tesla was less than impressed with its representation in the survey, which also ranked the Model S bottom of its ranking by model.

A statement issued by Tesla said: “Only 28 Model S owners responded out of a total of 18,000 car owners surveyed by What Car?. That’s less than 0.3% of UK Tesla owners.

“The results of this survey are also at odds not only with our internal figures showing customer satisfaction scores for Model S and X at well over 90%, but with statistically valid surveys like our Net Promotor Score and Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey, which we’ve topped every year since 2013, with 90% of Tesla owners saying they would buy the same car again – more than any other brand.

“We are committed to making the world’s best cars, and in order to ensure the highest quality, we review every vehicle for even the smallest refinement before it leaves the factory.

“To the extent repairs are needed, the majority of work carried out on cars up to four-years-old is done under warranty and free of charge to the customer while they are supplied with a courtesy car.

“Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla repairs can also be carried out in a customer’s driveway or office by mobile service, or even via over-the-air updates, to minimise any disruption.”