Last year, almost one in five cars failed their regular general inspection. Specifically, 19.2 percent of the vehicles had at least significant defects, according to data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). Another 13.1 percent of the cars had minor defects. 67.8 percent had no complaints.
The majority of failures were in the “significant defects” category – these could be, for example, tires that were too worn or a brake that worked on one side. Only 0.5 percent of the cars had dangerous defects – such as worn brakes or a missing fuel cap. 0.05 percent were unsafe to drive – this is the case, for example, with defective braking or steering systems.
The most common defect in passenger cars was problems with lights and electronics, which were found in 24.7 percent of the vehicles. Behind this were defects in the areas of axles, wheels, tires and suspension, defects in the braking system and environmental pollution.
Defects less common than last year
The current defect rates are lower than a year ago. At that time, the KBA reported a failure rate of 20.7 percent. Dangerous defects and traffic unsafety were also found less frequently.
However, according to the authority, the figures from the two years are only comparable to a limited extent because there was a change in the data source. It is currently unclear whether the cars examined last year were in better condition or whether it was just a statistical effect. More detailed information will be available here at the end of August.
By the way, motorcycles were in significantly better shape during the general inspections. Only 6.9 percent of them failed.