Electric cars differ from vehicles with combustion engines in many areas. In view of the many specific vehicle parts, it would stand to reason that it is precisely these that need to be replaced particularly often. You can find out whether this is the case in this article. We also reveal which parts most frequently show defects at the TÜV and which parts are frequently broken according to the ADAC.

These parts are often defective on electric cars

Compared to cars with combustion engines, electric cars appear to have an advantage when it comes to repairs and parts replacement. Many parts are not even present on electric cars, such as a manual gearbox or the engine’s oil circuit. Nevertheless, there are some parts that need to be repaired particularly often on electric vehicles. These include chassis parts, brakes and sometimes the battery.

• Chassis and axle suspension components
• Brake components such as brake disks
• Battery with associated electronics and wiring harness
• Body parts and attachments after collisions

The wear and tear and service life of parts on the electric car are often related to individual use. For example, the tires of some electric cars wear out particularly quickly because drivers like to enjoy the high acceleration rate of the vehicles. According to tire manufacturer Bridgestone, wear occurs up to 30 percent faster than in combustion vehicles.

Defective chassis on electric cars

Vehicles with an electric drive are conspicuously often characterized by defects in the chassis and especially the wheel suspension. Defective and worn wishbones or steering knuckles are common complaints in electric cars. Joints, bearings and bushings on the chassis of electric cars are sometimes already defective or worn out with a mileage of less than 80,000 kilometers. The reason for frequent defects and the associated replacement of chassis parts in electric cars is easy to determine. This is because the weight of electric cars is often the main reason. They are often a third heavier than combustion engines. The battery of the VW ID.4 GTX alone weighs 500 kilograms. The Mercedes EQC has a battery weight of 650 kilograms.

Defective brakes on electric cars

Electric cars are affected by defects and faults in the brakes more frequently than average. This is reflected in the regular main inspection, which is mandatory for electric cars in Germany every 24 months. Rust on the brake discs, for example, is said to occur up to 50 percent more often in electric cars than in the average vehicle. Defective and rusted brake discs cannot provide full braking power and often have to be replaced early on in electric cars. Even young electric cars were found to have rusted brake discs during general inspections in 2023. One reason for the high failure rate is that the brakes in electric cars are rarely used due to recuperation.

Defective drive battery in an electric car

The drive battery is one of the most important and most expensive components in electric cars. If the battery is defective, the cost of replacing it can quickly exceed 10,000 euros. The traction battery sometimes needs to be replaced, especially if it has been used for a long time or after numerous fast-charging cycles. Many manufacturers give a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 to 160,000 kilometers. The average service life of an electric car battery is usually between eight and ten years. The battery does not wear out equally quickly in all models. However, control units and the electronics for battery management can also break down and need to be replaced. The electric car’s wiring harness, which can cost up to 3000 euros, often falls victim to marten bites and has to be replaced.

Damage to electric cars after accidents

Damage to vehicle parts is particularly problematic when electric cars have been involved in accidents. In addition to body parts such as doors , hoods or fenders, parts of the electrical system are often damaged. Damage to the high-voltage system of electric cars is particularly problematic. This applies to the battery and its wiring, for example. In 2021, the German car insurer Allianz conducted a study on the subject of electric cars in accidents. Claims from 2018 to 2020 were used for this. The experts found that the repair effort is greater, which increases the costs by up to 40 percent. For example, the battery often has to be completely replaced due to manufacturer specifications.

What the TÜV says about defective parts on electric cars

Testing organizations such as the German TÜV have a good overview of which parts on electric cars are particularly frequently defective. Every year, the TÜV association publishes its comprehensive TÜV report. Among other things, this report provides information on how well or poorly a particular model performed in the previous year’s main inspections. The TÜV Report 2024 included the results of over ten million main inspections in 2022 and 2023. With the large number of electric vehicles now on German roads, the report also provides reliable figures for many electric models. One of the most popular vehicles even brings up the rear in the 2024 report. The Tesla Model 3 stood out negatively here.

TÜV confirms problems with chassis and brakes

Other electric cars fared better than the Tesla in 111th place with a defect rate of 14.7 percent in the TÜV report. These include the Volkswagen e-Golf, which came fourth on the list with a defect rate of just 2.6 percent. The Renault Zoe is in 49th place with a defect rate of 5.6 percent. The TÜV experts described the brakes and chassis parts of electric cars as particularly susceptible to problems. This is consistent with the experience of specialist workshops. Here, too, e-vehicles generally attracted attention due to defects in the chassis components, such as worn joints in the steering knuckles. In addition, the TÜV often found fault with the axles and lighting.

Electric cars are comparatively young

Most electric cars in Germany are relatively young. While cars with combustion engines are often ten years old or more, electric cars are usually only two to three years old. It is therefore difficult to estimate which parts will actually be frequently affected by defects after a few years. Shock absorbers or steering parts often wear out later. A lack of maintenance is also considered to be the cause of frequent defects in the chassis, axle suspension and lighting system of e-cars. The TÜV experts point out that maintenance is also neglected due to a lack of fluid change intervals. Unlike with combustion engines, component faults are not noticed during oil changes or coolant checks.

Starter battery is the most common cause of breakdowns according to ADAC

Interesting information on which electric car parts break down particularly frequently is also provided by the annual breakdown report of the German automobile club ADAC. Every year, the club publishes its statistics on the most common problems for which the breakdown service had to be called out. The ADAC breakdown statistics for 2023 list electric cars separately. According to the statistics, the most common cause of breakdowns for which mechanics are called out are problems with the starter battery. Interestingly, this affects both electric cars and combustion engines, together accounting for 43.2 percent of all breakdown causes in 2022. 2.5 out of every 1,000 vehicles registered for the first time in 2020 had a problem with the starter battery, for both electric cars and combustion engines.