Defects in commercial vehicles are increasing

One in five commercial vehicles has significant or even dangerous defects. This is the finding of the TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report 2025.

Once a year, TÜV publishes its collected inspection results in its commercial vehicle report . In fact, one in five inspected vehicles has significant or even dangerous defects. The rate is 20,4 percent, an increase of 0,8 percent compared to the last report in 2023. Heavy trucks over 18 tons are particularly affected at 21,9 percent , followed by vans up to 3,5 tons at 21,5 percent , light trucks from 3,5 to 7,5 tons at 20,0 percent , and medium-duty trucks from 7,5 to 18 tons at 16,5 percent.

In the current trend, heavy commercial vehicles have, for the first time, surpassed light commercial vehicles in terms of defects . This is due to an increase in vehicles with major defects (MD) in the 7,5 to 18-ton class. The defect rate for these MDs rose by 0,6 percentage points to 19,5 percent. They failed inspections for lighting issues and oil leaks . TÜV attributes this to inadequate maintenance , a higher average age of the vehicles , and intense competition.

Austerity as a cause

"For the first time, the defect rates for heavy commercial vehicles are even worse than those for light commercial vehicles used in delivery traffic," says Christian Egger , Head of Truck and Bus at TÜV SÜD . This is cause for concern. "While the average age is also increasing, mileage is decreasing significantly." These are clear indications of cost-cutting measures . In times of better profitability, continuous maintenance contracts, for example, ensured that even the heaviest vehicles were in top condition – despite comparatively high mileage.

This also means that companies are rather hesitant to invest in their vehicle fleets . "The costs of maintaining the vehicles, such as CO2-based tolls, are outpacing market demand," says Egger. "All of this leads to older fleets and reduced maintenance." At the same time, this prevents a switch to alternative drive systems, which is not as easy to implement compared to public transport or private cars.

Most common defect: lighting

Vehicles under 7,5 tons gross vehicle weight are also worsening their defect ratings. "The heavy use in stop-and-go delivery operations or by tradespeople leaves its mark – even on safety-relevant components such as lights and brakes ," writes TÜV. This applies to all age groups – even to vehicles undergoing their first TÜV inspection. The percentage of vehicles without any visible defects has fallen by more than two percentage points to just 79,8 percent . One in five cars has defects; most often, this is due to a lack of attention to the lighting system . Already, 3,5 percent of vehicles have defects in their taillights after just one year, and after five years, this figure rises to 8,5 percent.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope : 73,9 percent of trailers weighing more than 3,5 tons pass the mandatory vehicle inspection (HU) without any defects . The TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report is published every two years , alternating with the TÜV Bus Report . The current report is based on over 2,3 million analyzed mandatory vehicle inspections (HU) from January 2023 to December 2024. The complete report is available here: TÜV Commercial Vehicle Report 2025.

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