One in five commercial vehicles fails the main inspection. This is the central result of the new “TÜV Report Commercial Vehicles 2025,” which the TÜV Association presented in Berlin. Defect rates have risen across all weight classes. Defects occur most frequently in lighting, the oil circuit and axle suspension. Particularly alarming: The heavy trucks over 18 tonnes form for the first time the tail end of the statistics.
Defects are rising in all weight classes
For the report, around 2.31 million main inspections from 2023 and 2024 were evaluated, according to the TÜV Association. As a result, 20.4 percent of the inspected vehicles showed substantial or dangerous defects. This corresponds to an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared with the previous study from 2023.
The increase affects all weight classes. Vans up to 3.5 tonnes reach a defect rate of 21.5 percent, vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes are at 20 percent, and the mid-weight trucks between 7.5 and 18 tonnes come to 16.5 percent. However, the rise is particularly notable for heavy trucks over 18 tonnes: there, the rate climbed by 2.1 percentage points to 21.9 percent.
Heavy trucks become a problem case
Thus, the large vehicles
lead the defect statistics for the first time. Richard Goebelt, head of Vehicle & Mobility at the TÜV Association, described the result as “remarkable.” After all, these vehicles are predominantly on long-haul routes, are inspected more frequently and are regarded as being maintained with particular care.
A look at the driving performance shows the burden: According to figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority, trucks over 7.5 tonnes in 2024 on average traveled 43,309 kilometers, tractor units even 86,585 kilometers. For comparison: cars reached 12,309 kilometers in the same period. With intensive use, the risk of age-related damages also increases. For one-year-old vehicles over 18 tonnes the defect rate is 7.4 percent, at five years it is 20.5 percent, and at ten years it rises to 29 percent.
Typical defects and safety risks
The inspectors most often found defects in the lighting. Already in five-year-old vehicles, more than one in fourteen is affected; in ten-year-old vehicles, almost one in eight. Oil loss is also among the most common complaints. In ten-year-old commercial vehicles, almost one in twelve is affected. If oil reaches hot engine parts, it can lead to fires. Damages to the axle suspension also increase significantly
with age and endanger driving stability.
Goebelt stressed that especially with intensive use maintenance and repair must have the highest priority.
“Every safety-relevant defect means a risk for operation and road safety,” he said.
Investment pressure slows the propulsion transition
The results of the report also show how closely technical safety and economic framework conditions are linked. Many freight forwarders invest in new vehicles, while keeping older ones in operation longer. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the stock of trucks over 7.5 tonnes has grown by 22 percent since 2015—from 173,166 to 211,809 vehicles.
The total stock of commercial vehicles in Germany is also steadily increasing: Since 2000 it has grown by 51 percent to currently 3.83 million vehicles. 92 percent of them are light transporters up to 3.5 tonnes. The average age is now 8.7 years; in 2015 it was 7.7 years.
The investment reticence also affects the propulsion transition. While the share of electric trucks among new registrations is rising—from 5.5 percent in 2024 to 8.7 percent in the first seven months of 2025. But the share of the total stock remains at only 2.4 percent. According to the TÜV Association, high acquisition
costs, a limited vehicle supply and uncertain cost-effectiveness slow the ramp-up. Add to this a patchy charging infrastructure, especially for long-haul.
Call for a modernized inspection
The practice of testing also faces new challenges. Systems such as emergency braking or turn-assist systems are not yet fully integrated into the main inspection, according to the TÜV Report. The reason is that manufacturers do not grant testing organizations comprehensive access to safety-relevant data.
The association therefore calls for a modernized HU that also reliably covers digital and automated systems.
“Heavy trucks must be kept in an absolutely reliable technical condition throughout their entire life cycle,” Goebelt said.
Only in this way can road safety be sustainably increased.
Consequences for fleet operators
For freight forwarders and fleet managers, the results mean two things: On the one hand, the requirements for maintenance and servicing rise, especially for older and heavily used vehicles. On the other hand, the pressure to carefully plan investments in new drivetrains increases. Uncertainties about costs, infrastructure and the verifiability of digital systems complicate the transition. Those who want to secure the reliability of their fleet must therefore actively manage the balancing act between an aging fleet and new
