Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 show the highest defect rates among tested EVs in a TÜV report

4 December 2025, 08:57:32

Germany's TÜV has issued its 2026 report for the available passenger car park in the country. The report highlights rising defect rates in Germany's car fleet, an aging vehicle population, and the growing role of electric vehicles in safety inspections. The study is based on ~9.5 million inspections performed between July 2024 and June 2025, covering 216 models across six vehicle classes and six age groups. Some of the key findings include:

About one in three cars shows defects.
21.5% fail the inspection due to significant or dangerous defects.
Around 135,000 vehicles are classified as traffic hazards, and 12,000 are immediately deregistered.

The share of defect-free cars continues to decline, reaching 66.1% in 2025, the lowest since 2020. The average car age in Germany is now 10.6 years, more than 20% older than cars from 15 years ago. The most common defects include lighting, brakes, and drivetrain issues, especially in cars aged 8-13 years. The top brands for durability are Mercedes, Audi, and Toyota, showing the lowest defect rates in 10-11-year-old vehicles.

For the first time, the TÜV report includes electric cars. The key findings in this group show that the average defect rate is 6.5% for 2–3 year-old EVs. This figure is slightly higher than the defect rate of ICE cars. The most frequent issues are related to the brake systems due to reduced use from recuperation, suspension and axle wear from heavy batteries.

The best EVs in the 2-3 years age category are the Mini Cooper SE (3.5%), Audi Q4 e-tron (4%), Fiat 500e (4.2%), and BMW i3 (4.6%). The worst performers among the tested EVs are Tesla Model 3 (13.1%) and Tesla Model Y (17.3%), occupying the 108th and the 110th place, respectively. Moreover, the Model Y shows the highest defect rates of 2-3 -uear-old cars in the past 10 years.

The best EVs in the 4-5 age category are the Opel Corsa-e (5%), VW ID.3 (5.5%), and Hyundai Kona Electric (6.5%). Again, in this category, the Tesla Model 3 is the worst performer with 21% defect percentage. According to the report, other vehicles with similar or even higher mileages perform significantly better than the Tesla vehicles tested. In addition to design flaws, deficiencies in service and maintenance apparently played a role in this.

All in all, the TÜV Report 2026 warns of worsening safety trends due to Germany’s aging car fleet, while also spotlighting early weaknesses in electric vehicles and calling for updated inspection standards to keep pace with technological change.

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