Interesting car reliability data from Germany

[KrisZ]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/12...-reliable-cars/

Very interesting car reliability data coming from Germany. A point to note is that this data comes from an agency that performs mandatory car safety inspections and they keep a record of cars that do not pass inspection requirements. Obviously cars that are better maintained by their owners will have a higher percentage of passing.


TÜV-Report 2011, 3 year old cars
Rank Type Complaints
1 TOYOTA PRIUS 1.9%
2 TOYOTA AURIS 2.6%
2 MAZDA 2 2.6%
4 PORSCHE BOXSTER/CAYMAN 2.8%
4 VW GOLF PLUS 2.8%
6 FORD FUSION 3.0%
7 TOYOTA COROLLA VERSO 3.1%
8 MAZDA 3 3.2%
9 OPEL AGILA 3.3%
9 SUZUKI SX4 3.3%
…
118 KIA SORENTO 9.2%
119 PEUGEOT 407 9.4%
119 ALFA ROMEO 159 9.4%
121 CITROEN C4 9.5%
122 HYUNDAI ATOS 10.0%
123 HYUNDAI SANTA FE 10.1%
124 CITROEN C5 11.5%
125 FIAT PANDA 11.6%
126 RENAULT ESPACE 12.2%
127 DACIA LOGAN 12.5%

TÜV-Report 2011, 10-11 year old cars

Rank Type Complaints
1 PORSCHE 911 9.5%
2 TOYOTA RAV4 10.0%
3 TOYOTA YARIS 16.8%
4 TOYOTA AVENSIS 17.6%
5 MAZDA MX-5 17.9%
6 MERCEDES SLK 18.1%
6 TOYOTA COROLLA 18.1%
8 SUZUKI VITARA 18.4%
9 MERCEDES S-KLASSE 20.7%
10 HONDA ACCORD 21.0%
…
63 OPEL ZAFIRA 31.6%
64 MERCEDES E-KLASSE 31.6%
65 VW PASSAT 32.2%
66 FIAT PUNTO 32.3%
67 CITROEN BERLINGO 32.4%
68 ALFA ROMEO 156 34.4%
69 FIAT BRAVO/BRAVA 36.0%
70 VW SHARAN 36.5%
71 SEAT ALHAMBRA 36.7%
72 FORD GALAXY 37.9%
73 FORD KA 38.9%

I wish such data was available to us.

 

[Win]

What do they actually test for?

It seems like meaningless data without that information.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Win
What do they actually test for?

It seems like meaningless data without that information.


It's in the linked article.

The Germans have quite a robust vehicle inspection program.

 

[91344George]

Looks like good news for Mazda and Toyota if you ask me.

 

[rshaw125]

Vehicle inspections are used as job creation programs. Also to make people feel tingly about having their car pass inspection.
There effectiveness has been shown to be statistically minimal.

 

[mhadden]

I dislike government intervention, but sometimes I wish we had car inspections here in the States. I'm tired of seeing the amazing amount of vehicles that are "abused" by their owners. More directly at the ones that ride on bald tires, suspension is shot (ever seen a car, but more so a Safari van going down the highway bobbing like its about to go out of control?) and the ones that are eyesores because they are so rusted out (and dropping bits and pieces of it all over the roadway)? I take pride in my vehicle and others should too. Then again, driving somehow became a "right" rather a "privilege" somewhere in the last 20 years...

 

[Frbl]

Be careful what you wish for. We have safety inspections here in PA and while it can be useful for keeping bald tires and other problems off of the road, it is often a way for garages to drum up new business - often unnecessary repairs. There are some great shops that do not abuse this, but one must be ever vigilant.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Our vehicle test here is once a year for cars up to five years old and once ever six months afterwards. It's similar and nearly as strict as the TUV, having been through both. We need it otherwise some here people would drive anything that moves. It doesn't help that there is no financial liability placed on individuals for injuring others.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
...There effectiveness has been shown to be statistically minimal.


By who?

I'm not in favor for more government control and regulations, but the amount of heaps driving on Canadian roads (I don't know about US roads) is just mind boggling. These abominations are a danger to all others sharing the road. It is astonishing, to me at least, that we are mandating air bags, ABS and stability control systems on all new cars for the sake of safety, while we have thousands of cars on the road, every day, that are not safe to operate. Also, how are those safety systems going to perform when the tires are bold, or brake pads are grinding metal to metal?

I don't know how effective these inspections are, but I do know that I did not see so many sorry looking cars on the road when I was in Europe. I also had a couple of trainees coming from Europe mention that there are a lot of [censored] cars on the roads in Toronto.

 

[AuthorEditor]

You would think there might be a strong correlation between what shape a vehicle is in and accidents, but my purely anecdotal observations are that it means nothing. I see just as many, if not more, very new, very high-end, very nice looking cars, SUVs, and trucks wrecked in accidents. Sure, vehicles experiencing breakdowns by the side of the road tend toward older and less well maintained, but in terms of traffic accidents I'm not sure it makes a difference. I think that is because accident avoidance is about 95% or more on the driver, probably 4% luck, and 1% everything else including what condition the car is in.

 

[RF Overlord]

I notice that FIAT is near the bottom on both lists. That's probably not what Dodge/Chrysler owners want to hear...

 

[RF Overlord]

Re: state inspections...we've had mandatory safety inspections here in MA since I've been old enough to drive...at least 1970. In the beginning they were rudimentary, but at least would catch bald tires, inop lights, wonky front ends, etc. They're a bit more comprehensive now, but still nowhere near the level they have in the UK, for instance, as I saw on Top Gear. The number of obviously junky cars on the road is dramatically lower now than back then. I know, because that's all I used to drive...

 

[Radman]

Originally Posted By: mhadden
I dislike government intervention, but sometimes I wish we had car inspections here in the States.


I wonder if you celebrated the loss of civil libertys?
Government Intrusion is never something that I would want or embrace.

 

[Rand]

I was following one of them heaps the other night in the rain. they hit a pothole and ended up sideways in the road. It was one of those 40 year old land yacht's with really bad suspension. But hey its a HISTORIC VEHICLE IT DOESNT GET INSPECTION??

 

[wings&wheels]

I am also not a fan of an intrusive government "nanny state", makes it tough living on Mass sometimes. But, having spent a lot of time driving in Europe though, the UK and Germany especially, this and the standards for drivers' licenses are two areas they get right. It is tough to argue with a basic but comprehensive safety inspection of anything moving with (or flying above) the public.

To be done right though, the incentive to flunk a car and make repair $ can't exist. There needs to be separation of the inspection and repair functions.

In theory we have a pretty thorough inspection protocol here, but the execution is widely inconsistent.

w

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Originally Posted By: Win
What do they actually test for?

It seems like meaningless data without that information.


It's in the linked article.

The Germans have quite a robust vehicle inspection program.


I read it. It said this: "At the TÜV, each car undergoes a thorough and invasive physical."

So, what do they inspect, what do they test for?

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Win
I read it. It said this: "At the TÜV, each car undergoes a thorough and invasive physical."

So, what do they inspect, what do they test for?

Most common defects for 11 yesr old cars

TÜV-Report 2011, 11 year old cars
Lightning 28.6%
Front and rear axle 13.4%
Exhaust 7.7%
Brake lines and hoses 7.1%
Steering 4.2%
Foot brake 3.5%
Corrosion on the frame and structural parts 2.6%

 

[OldCowboy]

Having been through TÜV inspections when I was stationed in Europe, I can attest these are not the "feel good" "safety" inspections we have here in the states. They seriously inspect the vehicle for defects, to include putting the vehicle on a special 4-wheel dynamometer and measuring each wheel's braking ability. It used to be that many American vehicles had real problems in developing enough braking force to pass the dynamic brake test.

Also, TÜV inspections are completely separate from repair stations and cannot recommend a repair station.

Additionally, a TÜV inspector can loose his license if he passes a vehicle and it is involved in an accident due to a defect which should have been found by the inspector.

 

[CivicFan]

Top Gear had an episode in Germany that showed what the inspection was. Unfortunately, in their Youtube video, they do not show it. if you can find the whole episode, it will be in it.

here is the portion of the episode available on Youtube... http://youtu.be/XG1K-1Zq290

 

[91344George]

Actually this was the segment that featured that amazing half a million dollar TUV "rolling inspection" tractor trailer. Which has all sorts of tests on it including a hoist and a portable dyno....INCREDIBLE.

I like the no nonsense of the inspector as well, he was pretty young 20's and very professional, something you NEVER see in the states. They take the automobile VERY seriously in Germany.