The Most Unreliable Cars in Europe Revealed: Tesla Model Y Tops the List

The latest TUV report for 2026 brought bad news for Tesla: the Model Y was named the most defective car in Germany among 2-3 year-old vehicles. With a rate of 17.3% serious faults, it surpassed even the Model 3, which held the title for the last two years. Main issues include suspension, brakes, and lights. The market situation is deteriorating overall, with one in five cars in Germany failing the technical inspection on the first attempt, and a nearly one percent increase in significant defects. BMW 5 and 6-Series, Dacia Duster, and Renault Clio also fall into the ‘red zone’ in older age groups. However, there are winners, with VW dominating the 4+ year-old category with top ratings for Golf Sportsvan, T-Roc, and Touareg. Mazda CX-3, Mercedes B-Class, and Fiat 500e also rank among the most reliable. In the 2-3 year-old category, top performers include Mazda 2, BMW 1-Series, Mercedes C-Class, and VW T-Roc. For the first time, TUV introduced an award for long-term quality, taken by Mercedes. Models of the brand over 10 years old have a defect rate of only 18.5%, comparable to ‘almost new’ Teslas. Audi takes second place, followed by Toyota. German inspections reaffirm that electric cars can be reliable, but currently, it’s more about European and Japanese brands than Tesla.