Breakdowns: Battery is most common cause
What used to be the fan belt is now the electrical system: it is the main reason why a car breaks down. According to the ADAC, 42 percent of all breakdowns were caused by the car battery. Twenty years ago, electrics were responsible for just under a third of breakdowns. The main reason for the increase is the sharp rise in the number of [...]
Twenty years ago, electrical systems were responsible for just under a third of breakdowns. The main reason for the increase is the sharp rise in the number of electrical consumers or control units, which overload the battery management systems.
Engine management defects
Just under one in five breakdowns (19 percent) involved defects in the engine and engine management - i.e. problems with injection, sensors or ignition. The experts emphasize that the technology of engines and injection systems has improved significantly in recent years. This also applies to new electronic ignition systems. This is also reflected in the statistics: in 1998, 32.5 percent of breakdowns still came from this area. In third place with 14 percent are breakdowns in steering, bodywork, brakes, chassis or powertrain.
Breakdown frequency of certain models
In terms of reliability, the ADAC lists several models that performed poorly in one or more model years. Here, the 2009 Ford S-Max was particularly conspicuous with a breakdown frequency of 113 per 1000 vehicles.
Among the very young vehicles, the Nissan Qashqai from 2015 and 2016 is still a problem case, according to ADAC: "30 and 40 damaged vehicles per 1,000 registrations, respectively, are many times higher than what equally old models from other manufacturers offer." Battery problems have been the main cause of breakdowns in Japanese vehicles for years.
