1. Tesla’s high defect rates in TÜV reports
Many commenters point out that Teslas consistently rank near the bottom of the TÜV “failure” tables, especially for brakes and suspension.
- “The Tesla Model Y took over in last place from the Tesla Model 3 (17.3 percent).” – kotaKat
- “The Tesla Model Y has roughly the same amount of faults after less than 3 years as the top cars in this comparison have after 11‑13 years.” – fabian2k
2. Questionable methodology and bias in the TÜV data
Users argue that the numbers are distorted by pre‑inspection practices, dealer‑run checks, and the fact that TÜV is not a single entity.
- “The data may be skewed if certain brands are more likely to have pre‑inspection done.” – arpinum
- “Other brands do have scheduled inspection though.” – plqbfbv
- “TÜV is the largest such organisation in Germany and almost has a monopoly… but the numbers are to be taken with a huge grain of salt.” – thyristan
3. Maintenance habits and EV‑specific issues
A recurring theme is that EVs, especially Teslas, receive less routine servicing (oil changes, brake “polishing”) because of regenerative braking, leading to hidden wear.
- “EVs have brakes, suspensions, and tires like all cars. A responsible owner should have his car checked out once a year.” – the_mitsuhiko
- “Because the car is rarely used, the brakes are rarely used… this can lead to defects in the brake discs.” – bob1029
- “Tesla does not have dealers and a recommended yearly servicing schedule.” – retired
These three threads—defect rates, data reliability, and maintenance practices—dominate the discussion.