Better to avoid these used, advise the data of the German STK. Dacia is the most disruptive

One of the main pieces of information in this year’s TÜV Süd report on German MOTs? The number of cars that do not pass through serious or dangerous defects is growing. Self last year, the serious problem rate was 17.9 percent., in the ranking for 2023 is already up 20.2 percent from more than 9.5 million views. In addition, the average age of cars presenting for inspections has also increased, passing the ten-year mark for the first time. Even at this age, however, the cars mostly comply with the Euro 5 emissions standard, so they can still be driven just about anywhere in Germany, the report said.

“Even if you don’t want to say it too much, the pandemic is also having an impact on the car market. Between 2020 and 2022, which is when we collected the data, more used cars were sold. the use of public transport, on the other hand, has increased the popularity of delivery services, ”Jürgen Wolz from TÜV Süd explains the reasons for the majority and the higher number of defects.

But they are not the only ones, the technicians of the German organization also underline that the average age is increasing also because the supply of new cars has stalled due to a lack of chips and other parts. The number of defects therefore increases, among other things, because drivers have less money to repair and maintain their tin animals.

Incidentally, this actually demonstrates the biggest “problem” with this particular reliability stat. As a rule, in the first positions are cars whose owners treat them to a regular (more economically demanding) service, thus removing the major defects before the roadworthiness test, or they are models that should have less mileage. Typically, it is a Porsche 911, which dominates all but the youngest age categories: cars under three years old.

Of course, regular cutting and maintenance are the basis for the fact that it won’t be necessary to change the car in a few years, on the contrary, it will be possible to use it for a much longer time. After all, the winner of this year’s reliability rating is the Mercedes-Benz B-Class – a compact MPV, which even at the age of eight and nine has a serious defect rate of 11%. Incidentally, this is the same number as a maximum three years old – and therefore still new – Dacia Logan. For a change, it’s the least reliable car in this year’s rankings.

At the same time, the average mileage is usually very different for cars of such different ages, and the B-class is not a car that the owner, with a bit of exaggeration, takes on the road a couple of times a year like a Porsche 911. On the contrary, it is assumed that he will drive it regularly to work, to the shops or to drop off the children at schools and clubs. However, the most reliable new cars in each age group will be discussed in the gallery below, where you can view the least reliable cars in each age category.

TÜV Süd further adds that, in addition to the major failure rate, the minor “defect” rate also increased by 1.6 percentage points to a total of 10.7 percent. “This shows that motorists are not paying enough attention to small repairs in particular,” the press release said. The share of cars that returned home from inspections without a single breakdown then decreased by 1.8%.

The most common defects are problems with lights, axles and oil leaks. Only 1.6% of the cars inspected, which represents over 150,000 cars, had a problem with their headlights at the first inspection. Half a percent of cars started struggling with oil leaks within three years. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the older the car, the higher the risk of a major breakdown. This is also helped by the fact that these older vehicles are not as well maintained as they once were, according to the TÜV.

The least reliable cars in all age groups can be found in the gallery at the beginning of the article.