World's best-selling EV Tesla Model Y named least reliable car

By Phong Ngo December 10, 2025 | 01:23 am PT

Tesla’s Model Y has been named the least reliable vehicle in Germany’s TÜV 2026 reliability report, recording a 17.3% defect rate among cars aged two to three years, the worst figure the organization has seen in the past decade.

TÜV, the organization responsible for mandatory vehicle safety inspections in Germany, conducts rigorous mechanical exams, which every car must pass to remain road-legal.

According to TÜV, 17.3% of Model Ys failed the inspection due to "significant" or "dangerous" defects, exceeding the average 6.5% failure rate for cars in the same age group, Electrek reported. This is also the highest defect rate of any vehicle tested in the last ten years.

Tesla Model 3, which held the worst spot for the previous two years, had a failure rate of 13.1%, landing just two spots ahead of the Model Y.

Tesla Model Y EV. Photo courtesy of Tesla's Instagram

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 were the world’s top two best-selling electric vehicles in the first nine months of 2025, with 808,173 Model Ys and 369,756 Model 3s sold, according to a recent report by market research firm Autovista24.

TÜV analyzed 110 models in the 2-to-3-year-old category, based on 9.5 million vehicles that underwent mandatory technical inspections between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025 in Germany.

It said a record number of electric vehicles were included in the latest report, and in most cases, EVs performed well, as reported by Top Speed.

For example, the Mini Cooper SE excelled with a defect rate of just 3.5% for 2-to-3-year-old models. The Audi Q4 e-tron followed at 4.0%, while the Fiat 500e had a defect rate of 4.3%, and the VW ID.3 scored 5.5%.

TÜV attributed the Tesla Model Y’s issues to its suspension, brake discs, and lighting, with the added weight of the battery pack proving challenging for suspensions. Additionally, the regenerative braking system, which is used more frequently than traditional friction brakes, can lead to malfunctions.

The hybrid Mazda 2 stood out for its reliability, boasting the lowest defect rate at just 2.9%.