Tesla was once the darling of the EV world and has built more than 10 million EVs for the world. But its reputation has taken plenty of hits in recent years. Now, Spider-Man star Mark Ruffalo is adding his voice to the growing criticism, arguing that Kia‘s electric cars are simply better than Tesla’s.
Ruffalo made the comments on X after reposting an Autoblog report about a NHTSA investigation involving nearly 1.2 million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over reports of front suspension components detaching, potentially causing drivers to lose steering control.
Ruffalo Has Had Enough of Tesla
I mean… they are not well made cars. Having tucked into a KIA EV now and having driven a Tesla. I have to say the Kia is hands down a better car and feels luxury compared to a Tesla. https://t.co/v10NorXy1Q
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 5, 2026
Ruffalo’s verdict was blunt. “I mean… they are not well made cars,” he wrote, before explaining that after driving a Tesla and spending time in a Kia EV, he found the Kia “hands down a better car” that “feels luxury compared to a Tesla.” Whether the Kia he experiecned was the compact EV3, mid-sized EV6, or full-sized EV9 remains up in the air.
That’s quite a statement from someone who was once an enthusiastic Tesla supporter. Ruffalo put down a deposit for a Model S back in 2012 and even defended Tesla’s direct-to-consumer sales model. His relationship with the automaker has clearly changed since then.
Tesla’s Problems Keep Piling Up
The suspension investigation isn’t Tesla’s only recent quality headache. The automaker is also recalling more than 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles because their low-beam headlights are too bright, potentially creating excessive glare for other drivers.
Tesla has also faced criticism over promises that never materialized, including the failure to deliver the specially cooled wireless charging pad that was supposed to be available for the US-spec Model Y L. None of this proves that every Tesla is poorly built, but it gives critics plenty of ammunition when questioning the company’s quality control.
The Competition Is Catching Tesla
Telo Trucks
Tesla’s position as the EV benchmark is also becoming harder to defend as competitors begin matching or beating it in unexpected areas. While major automakers such as BYD and Lucid are obvious threats, smaller startups are getting in on the action, too.
Take the Telo MT1. The compact electric pickup is roughly the size of a Mini Cooper, yet its 8,000-pound tow rating is higher than that of the standard Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla helped define the modern EV, but the competition is getting tougher. If a tiny electric truck can out-tow a Cybertruck, Ruffalo may not be the only person wondering whether Tesla’s rivals have finally caught up.
