Dhe coronavirus has paralyzed life at times and thus also had a dampening effect on vehicle use. The effect is over, as the TÜV states, the number of registered defects is increasing again. The latest TÜV Report 2023 shows significant or dangerous defects for around 20 percent of the vehicles tested, which led to the refusal of the sticker. This is an increase of 2.3 percentage points compared to the previous year.
The testing organization is therefore asking the owners to pay more attention to the proper condition of their vehicles again in the interests of safety. This is all the more true as the cars remain in operation longer. According to the report, 43 percent of all passenger cars in Germany are ten years old or older. Rust is hardly a problem anymore, and LED technology reduces the lighting defect rate.
First electric car with significant numbers
It is not yet possible to foresee exactly how the change in drive types will be reflected in the general inspection. There are simply still too few electric vehicles on the road. However, the first ones are slowly approaching their TÜV dates. The Renault is the first electric car in the statistics with significant numbers, the examiners determine. With its defect rate, it ends up in the middle of the two- to three-year-old cars and in the lower third of the five- to six-year-olds. Axle suspension and, obviously typical for electric cars, the brakes are criticized. This is because the brakes are subjected to less stress as a result of recuperation simply by decelerating, which results in corrosion. Braking properly every now and then can help.
The TÜV combines the ramp-up of electric cars with the desire to be able to expand its field of activity. Currently, only a visual inspection of the traction battery is planned. The TÜV also wants access to the vehicle data in order to be able to assess the condition of the battery and to check the high-voltage system.
The overall winner of the new TÜV report is the B-Class from Mercedes-Benz, which is at the top of the two- to three-year-old vehicles with a defect rate of just two percent. It is followed by last year’s winner, also from the Swabian company, the Mercedes-Benz GLC. The VW Golf Sportsvan came in third. In the older age groups, the Porsche 911 delivers the best result. The TÜV subdivides them into various vehicle classes, from small cars to SUVs. The Kia Picanto, the Honda Jazz, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the Volvo V 40 stand out positively here.