Problems under the bonnet
ADAC: Battery main cause for car or plants
The average age of cars approved in Germany increases. The consequences feel the ADAC breakdown aid.
With increasing age of the cars on Germany’s streets, the number of breakdowns is also increasing: the helpers of the ADAC moved out over 3.6 million times in 2024. That was almost 102,100 more missions than in the previous year, as the AutoClub in Munich announced, which corresponds to an increase of 2.9 percent. In almost half of all cases – almost 45 percent – the battery was to blame, followed by engine problems of all kinds including defective sensors.
Cars are now over ten years old on average over ten years
The increased number of breakdowns goes hand in hand with the higher average age of the cars on German roads: on January 1st, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, the approved cars were 10.6 years old. By 2021, the German average car was even younger than ten years. Regardless of this, the number of ADAC members has also increased in recent years.
Electric cars also have battery problems
The breakdown helpers registered the breakdown record of the past year with 19,714 missions on a very cold day with a very frosty night, January 9th. Battery problems not only have old cars with combustion engine: In almost 43,700 cases, the ADAC traffic watch was called for help by electric car drivers, an increase of 46 percent compared to the previous year. The electric cars also suffered from a defective starter battery in half of all cases.
dpa
Source: Stern
