TÜV-Reprt 2026. Foto: TÜV-Süd

TÜV Report 2026: Used electric cars lead the way in terms of safety

Despite isolated political initiatives against the EU-wide phase-out of combustion engines, the trend on the roads is clear: the future of the car is electric. This is also confirmed by the TÜV Report 2026, which was published on November 20, 2025. For the first time, enough electric models have been tested at inspection stations to enable a statistically reliable evaluation – 18 electric vehicles made it onto the defect lists this year. Their overall performance is positive: in terms of maintenance and durability, they are on a par with combustion engines. In some cases, they even outperform them – such as the Fiat 500 E, which achieved top marks in the mini class. The Audi Q4 e-tron, Mini Cooper SE, and Renault Twingo Z.E. also ranked among the top performers. However, the overall winner remains a hybrid: the Mazda 2. The rate of significant defects rose slightly overall to 21.5 percent.

“Electric cars are becoming cheaper and the market is picking up speed. This makes it all the more important that these vehicles are just as safe as combustion engines,” says Jürgen Wolz, Head of Service Line Mobility at TÜV SÜD. Many electric models ranked highly in the report. Overall, a look at almost 9.5 million inspected vehicles shows that the rate of significant defects rose by 0.9 points to 21.5 percent. Models with only minor complaints increased by 0.8 points. Cars without defects, on the other hand, decreased by 1.8 points to 66.1 percent. 0.5 percent of the vehicles inspected remain unsafe for traffic – unchanged from the previous year.

Part of the negative trend is the increasing average age of the fleet. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, it was 10.6 years at the beginning of the year. Deferred repairs for cost reasons are also reflected in the figures. At the same time, modern vehicles are generally more durable, which cushions the statistics somewhat.

Electric cars more in demand on the used market: The TÜV Report is traditionally an important guide for prospective buyers – and this is increasingly true for used electric cars as well. Their market is picking up, boosted by falling prices and growing consumer confidence in the technology.

The electric models under scrutiny: Several electric vehicles impress with low defect rates. The Audi Q4 e-tron ranks eighth among two- to three-year-old cars, with a significant defect rate of 4.0 percent and an average mileage of 42,000 kilometers. By comparison, the overall winner, the Mazda 2, comes in at 2.9 percent with 29,000 kilometers. In the mini class, the Fiat 500 E comes out on top with 4.2 percent (26,000 kilometers). The BMW i3, with a slightly higher mileage, only manages 23rd place.

Where electric cars fall short: The most common weak points in electric cars are not related to the drive system, but – as with classic combustion engines – to the chassis and lighting. In the Fiat 500 E, the low beam is particularly noticeable (1.5 percent significant defects). Due to the higher weight of the batteries, chassis problems occur more frequently: after just two to three years, the Opel Corsa E has 1.7 percent significant defects in the axle suspension, and the larger Mokka has 3.5 percent.

When it comes to brakes, the Peugeot 208 E stands out with significant defects in the brake discs at 2.7 percent. Volkswagen models show above-average problems with the foot brake, but perform well in other categories. The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 fare significantly worse: both end up at the bottom of the table, partly due to early defects in brake discs and chassis – albeit with high mileage of over 50,000 kilometers after two to three years.

Overall winner Mazda 2: The best car in the report is the Mazda 2. Only 2.9 percent of hybrid small cars fail their first general inspection – on average after 29,000 kilometers. In second place are the Mercedes B-Class and the VW T-Roc (3.0 percent each). They are followed by the Toyota Yaris Cross and BMW 1 Series/2 Series. The Mini Cooper SE remains the best electric car with 3.5 percent.

Poor performers: Tesla models are once again at the bottom of the list: the Model Y takes last place with 17.3 percent significant defects, ahead of the Model 3 (13.1 percent). The Ford Mondeo (14.3 percent) ranks between them.

Durability at Mercedes, but also in small cars: Mercedes models are particularly impressive among older vehicles: after ten to eleven years, the A-Class, B-Class, GLE, and ML have around 14 percent defects—despite mileage of close to 170,000 kilometers. But the Opel Corsa, Toyota Aygo, and Fiat Panda also last a long time. The latter averages almost 90,000 kilometers after more than a decade.

Overview of the best in class

• Mini: Fiat 500 E

• Small car: Mazda 2

• Compact class: BMW 1 Series/2 Series

• Mid-range: Mercedes C-Class

• SUV: VW T-Roc

• Vans: Mercedes B-Class

Regional differences

There are significant differences between the federal states: Saxony once again has the lowest defect rate at 16.8 percent, followed by Bavaria (17.4 percent) and Baden-Württemberg (19.6 percent). Hamburg comes in last with 27.6 percent.