ADAC breakdown statistics: Electric cars included for the first time - and immediately ahead

The ADAC has presented its latest breakdown statistics and shows which cars most frequently broke down in 2022. For the first time, electric cars from the registration year 2020 are included in the ranking. All four models slightly outperformed their combustion engine counterparts in their respective classes. In 2022, 43.2 percent of the total breakdowns were due to the battery – 3.0 percentage points less than the previous year. 17.4 percent of the breakdowns concerned the engine category and 10.6 percent the electrical category. The Audi A4, BMW 1 series, 3 series, and X3 are among the most reliable models in all initial registration years for combustion engines. The highest breakdown rate of all models was delivered by the Fiat Ducato from the 2013 model year. The fewest overall breakdowns were recorded by the VW ID3 and the BMW i3 from the registration year 2020.

In the comparison between combustion engines and purely electric models, only vehicles with an initial registration year of 2020 were compared. Additionally, just like with the combustion engines, only e-vehicles that had at least 7,000 registrations in two years were evaluated. In the small car segment, this included the BMW i3 and the Renault Zoe, and in the lower mid-range, Tesla’s Model 3 and the VW ID.3. Problems with the starter battery occurred equally often. For combustion engines, there were more tire breakdowns, which can be explained by the higher number of kilometers driven (e-vehicles approximately 12,000 kilometers, combustion engines 20,300 kilometers per year).