German TUV published the 2026 reliability report and, for the first time, electric vehicles were comprehensively evaluated. While most EVs proved just as reliable as their gas-powered brethren, the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y were the outliers. The Model Y ranked dead last in reliability among 2-3 year old vehicles, with the highest defect rate recorded in a decade (17.3%).
Wisdom says that electric vehicles should be more reliable than gas cars because they have fewer moving components. There's no transmission in most EVs, although some performance EVs like the Porsche Taycan do feature a two-gear transmission. The electric motor has only one moving part, the rotor, thus eliminating thousands of components that can brake or wear in a combustion engine.
This theory has been put to the test more thoroughly this year, as German TUV has gathered comprehensive data on EV reliability. The 2026 TUV Report relies on technical inspection information for about 9.5 million vehicles that underwent their mandatory technical inspection between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, at TUV centers across Germany. Knowing which vehicles are more likely to fail the mandatory inspection gives us a rough idea about their reliability.
The report notes the rate of significant defects that make a vehicle fail the mandatory inspection. It's not an absolute assessment, considering the differences in mileage and maintenance that different vehicles experience. An executive sedan used by a sales representative will rack up more miles than a private city car. Just like a Mercedes will usually receive better care than a cheap Dacia that may never see an authorized repair shop.
All these differences aside, the latest TUV Report shows that electric vehicles can be just as dependable as their gas-sipping counterparts. This year, 216 vehicle models have made the cut, including 18 electric vehicles. Overall, more than one in five cars (21.5%) have failed the TUV inspection, with older vehicles recording higher defect rates.
The most important section is that of 2-3 year old vehicles, because maintenance and mileage play lesser roles in reliability. The best performers in this category were the Mazda2 (2.9% defect rate), Mercedes-Benz B Class, and Volkswagen T-Roc (3.0% each). The best performing electric vehicles in this category were Mini Cooper SE (3.5%), Audi Q4 e-tron (4.0%), and Fiat 500e (4.2%).
Tesla disappointed again, with the Model 3 showing a 13.1% defect rate and the Model Y, 17.3%. These are worse results than even the budget-friendly Dacia Spring. The Model Y wasn't only the worst EV, but the worst car in the 2-3 year old category, which comprised 110 vehicle models. Meanwhile, the Model 3 was surpassed by the Ford Mondeo as the second-worst, which is not much of an achievement, to be fair.
The Tesla Model Y was an unpleasant surprise in this year's report, with the highest defect rate recorded in this group in the last 10 years. In other words, no other car had so many defects after just two or three years on the roads in the past decade.
The 2026 TUV Report doesn't mention which defects were responsible for the Model Y's disappointing performance. However, speaking about the overall EV group, Dr. Joachim Bühler, Managing Director of the TÜV Association, confirmed that drivetrain components were mostly to blame.
"Axle suspensions suffer under the high weight of the drive battery, and the brakes are rarely used due to regenerative braking," Bühler told ADAC. "This can lead to defects in the brake discs, and there is a risk of reduced braking performance."