⭐ TÜV Report 2026 – Best and Worst Cars in German MOT Testing

The TÜV Report is one of Europe’s most respected sources of real-world vehicle reliability data. Based on millions of mandatory inspections across Germany, the 2026 edition once again reveals clear winners – and surprising losers – across all age categories.

This article summarises the most important findings of TÜV Report 2026, including the most reliable and least reliable cars. Full detailed tables (Top 10 / Bottom 10 for each age group) are coming soon as separate pages.

📌 What does the TÜV Report tell us?

Every Mängelquote (defect rate) shows the percentage of vehicles that fail Germany’s official inspection (HU – Hauptuntersuchung) due to serious defects.

Lower % = more reliable
Higher % = more technical issues

As a taster, we present the three best and three worst models in six age categories. Last year, cars aged 12 and 13 were added, reflecting the ongoing increase in vehicle age, which now stands in Germany at an average of 10.6 years.

Source: TÜV Report 2026 (AUTO BILD summary)

🟦 BEST CARS – Age 2–3 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Mazda 2	Ø 29,000 km	2.9%
2	Mercedes-Benz B-Class	Ø 41,000 km	3.0%
3	Volkswagen T-Roc	Ø 37,000 km	3.0%

🟥 WORST CARS – Age 2–3 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Tesla Model 3	Ø 56,000 km	13.1%
2	Ford Mondeo	Ø 76,000 km	14.3%
3	Tesla Model Y	Ø 55,000 km	17.3%

🟦 BEST CARS – Age 4–5 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	VW Golf Sportsvan	Ø 52,000 km	4.0%
2	Volkswagen T-Roc	Ø 55,000 km	4.0%
3	Audi Q2	Ø 54,000 km	4.5%

🟥 WORST CARS – Age 4–5 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	BMW 2 Series Active Tourer	Ø 66,000 km	20.6%
2	Tesla Model 3	Ø 86,000 km	21.0%
3	BMW 5/6 Series	Ø 92,000 km	21.5%

🟦 BEST CARS – Age 6–7 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Volkswagen T-Roc	Ø 76,000 km	6.7%
2	VW Golf Sportsvan	Ø 69,000 km	6.9%
3	Audi Q2	Ø 74,000 km	7.5%

🟥 WORST CARS – Age 6–7 Years

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	VW Sharan	Ø 115,000 km	21.7%
2	BMW 5/6 Series	Ø 124,000 km	22.3%
3	Dacia Duster	Ø 78,000 km	23.5%

🟦 BEST CARS – Age 8–9 Years (Pre-release)

Full Top 10 table coming soon

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Mazda CX-3	Ø 86,000 km	9.7%
2	VW Golf Sportsvan	Ø 92,000 km	10.3%
3	Mercedes-Benz B-Class	Ø 90,000 km	11.0%

🟥 WORST CARS – Age 8–9 Years (Pre-release)

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Dacia Sandero	Ø 87,000 km	27.8%
2	Dacia Duster	Ø 101,000 km	29.8%
1	BMW 5/6 Series	Ø 163,000 km	29.9%

🟦 BEST CARS – Age 10–11 Years (Pre-release)

Full Top 10 table coming soon

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	Mercedes-Benz B-Class	Ø 108,000 km	13.9%
2	Mercedes-Benz GLE/ML	Ø 170,000 km	15.2%
3	Mercedes-Benz A-Class	Ø 124,000 km	15.4%

🟥 WORST CARS – Age 10–11 Years (Pre-release)

#	Model	Avg Mileage	Defect Rate
1	BMW 5/6 Series	Ø 187,000 km	32.1%
2	Renault Twingo	Ø 92,000 km	32.1%
3	Dacia Duster	Ø 123,000 km	34.2%

🧠 Findings from TÜV Report 2026

Volkswagen T-Roc, Golf Sportsvan, Audi Q2, and Mazda 2 / CX-3 dominate reliability across younger categories.
Tesla Model 3 / Y repeatedly appear among the worst.
BMW 5/6 Series and Dacia Duster struggle heavily as they age.
Age and mileage matter – but brand, segment and maintenance play a major role.

📊 Full report coming soon

We are preparing full age-group detail pages with complete TÜV defect-ratings.