Commercial Vehicles Failing at an Alarming Rate Every Fifth Time, According to TÜV Report in Hungary
In the latest TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report, published every two years and based on the evaluation of around 2.31 million MOT tests from the years 2023 and 2024, Christian Egger, head of Truck and Bus at TÜV Süd, expressed concern about the increasing defect rates, particularly for heavy commercial vehicles.
The report reveals that over one in five commercial vehicles recently failed the MOT test with serious or dangerous defects. For light trucks (up to 3.5 tons), heavy trucks (over 18 tons), and medium trucks (7.5 to 18 tons), the defect rates were 20 percent, almost 22 percent, and 16.5 percent respectively. This marks a 0.8 percentage point increase compared to the 2023 report.
The increase in defect rates can be attributed to cost-cutting measures due to the generally tense economic situation and uncertainty regarding investments in new vehicles, according to Christian Egger, TÜV Süd expert. The average age of commercial vehicles is increasing, but the mileage is significantly decreasing. This trend is particularly noticeable in heavy commercial vehicles.
Inspectors most frequently found defects in the lighting, followed by oil leaks in the engine/drive and problems with the axle suspension. The results are presented for four weight classes: light trucks up to 3.5 tons, light trucks with 3.5 to 7.5 tons, medium trucks with 7.5 to 18 tons, and heavy trucks from 18 tons. In all weight classes, the defect quotas worsened compared to the 2023 report. For the first time, heavy commercial vehicles have worse defect rates than light delivery vehicles.
The TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report 2025 does not mention any specific findings about electric cars in the MOT evaluation. Despite this, the increasing age of commercial vehicles is a cause for concern, as the risk of safety-critical defects increases with the age of commercial vehicles, according to the report.
The number of registered commercial vehicles in Germany has increased by 51 percent since the year 2000, reaching 3.83 million vehicles. 92 percent of the registered commercial vehicles are light trucks up to 3.5 tons. The report does not provide specific information on which companies reported the most heavy trucks with "serious" or "dangerous" defects during MOT inspections in 2023 and 2024.
The TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report is published every two years, alternating with the TÜV Bus Report. The average age of commercial vehicles in 2025 was 8.7 years, compared to 7.7 years in 2015. In better economic times, regular maintenance contracts ensured that heavy vehicles were in top condition, despite relatively high mileage. However, the current economic climate and cost-cutting measures are leading to an increase in defect rates, particularly in heavy commercial vehicles.
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