More than one in five cars recently failed the general TÜV inspection with “significant” or even “dangerous defects”. The share of 20.6 percent corresponds to the long-term level, according to the TÜV report published on Thursday.
At least the defects in German cars don’t seem to be increasing, even though they are getting older on average. According to the TÜV, the longevity of vehicles is increasing. But many drivers could no longer afford to switch to new or used cars because of the increased prices, and maintenance and care also suffered from the economic situation. More than ten million general inspections from the period between July 2023 and June 2024 were evaluated for the report.
For the first time, there were enough electric cars to derive statistical insights from the tests. In the age group up to three years, ten pure electric models were included in the annual statistics out of a total of 111 models. Of the four to five-year-old vehicles that have already completed their second general inspection, six of 113 models were fully electric. “Electric cars are – slowly but steadily – conquering the used car market,” said the managing director of the TÜV association, Joachim Bühler. “The main investigation shows: Electric vehicles are technically neither safer nor more unsafe than vehicles with combustion engines.”
It was true again Tesla Model 3 is at the bottom of the overall ranking. In the first TÜV inspection, 14.2 percent of vehicles of this type were certified to have significant defects, and in the second even 19.7 percent. On the other hand, another electric model, the VW e-Golf, held its place in the top group of the most reliable cars this time in ninth place instead of fourth like last year. In between, several models were added, which overall produced an unremarkable picture – enough for the TÜV to feel comfortable with the general statement: The alternative drive itself does not appear to pose any particular risk for the test.
“The complaints are mainly about components that have nothing to do with the drive,” says TÜV Süd. Tesla received the bad grade not least because of frequent defects in the low beam. According to TÜV Süd expert Jürgen Wolz, the austerity policies of manufacturers like Tesla, which rely on little maintenance in workshops, are taking revenge in the investigation. Just because there are no fluids or moving parts that need to be replaced doesn’t mean you can rely on the electronics to ensure a safely functioning chassis.
However, there are some drive-specific defects in electric cars – such as premature wear of axle suspensions, which puts a strain on the high weight of the batteries. But this effect also affects the Tesla Model 3 much more than other electric models. In addition, according to the testers, the brakes tend to become more vulnerable if they are rarely used because of the recuperation possible with electric drives. To prevent the brake discs from rusting, the TÜV recommends a simple remedy: deliberately brake hard on a regular basis, even if you could leave the function to the accelerator pedal. A special problem with the combustion engine occurs more often: oil loss in the engine and transmission.
A mitigating circumstance could partially explain the poor performance of the Tesla Model 3: The model is used significantly more than other cars. After three years, an average Model 3 has already covered 53,000 kilometers according to the TÜV, while the average for all vehicles of this age was 42,000 kilometers, and even less for the other electric models.
The overall winner of the TÜV report was the small car Honda Jazz, while the Porsche 911 Carrera showed the fewest defects among older vehicles.