BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Nearly one in five coaches or transit buses inspected by TÜV recently failed their mandatory general inspection. In 2024 and 2025, 19.2 percent of the vehicles examined exhibited significant or dangerous defects, according to the TÜV Association. This represents an increase of 5.1 percentage points compared to the previous two-year period.
'The results of the current Bus Report are alarming', said Richard Goebelt of the TÜV Association. 'Defect rates are rising sharply for the second consecutive time.' In 2020 and 2021, the rate stood at just 11.7 percent, though the pandemic likely played a role in those figures. Only 69.8 percent of buses passed the 2024/2025 inspection without any defects - 5.6 points fewer than before. According to the TÜV Association, there has been no tightening of inspection criteria.
One in ten buses fails just one year after initial registration
Inspectors noted that it is not only older vehicles failing: 'Younger vehicles in particular are performing worse in inspections', Goebelt said. 'Just one year after initial registration, one in ten buses fails the general inspection.' This is more than double the figure from two years ago. The situation also deteriorated for five-year-old buses: the share with at least significant defects rose from 11.9 to 21 percent.
For even older buses, the rates of significant defects are in some cases slightly higher, but in others slightly lower. However, the proportion of minor defects clearly increases with age. For vehicles aged 17 to 20 years, fewer than 60 percent passed the inspection without complaint. Age-related issues were particularly evident in defects such as oil leaks, faulty rear lighting, or rust, cracks, and broken components.
Defects would be 'easy to detect' with regular maintenance
'Many passenger transport companies are under significant economic pressure', Goebelt said. 'This apparently leads them to neglect the necessary maintenance and care of their vehicles. Sooner or later, this comes at the expense of road safety.' He added that the defects discovered during inspections are 'easy to detect with regular maintenance and usually involve low costs to repair.'
In principle, buses are considered a 'very safe mode of transport', according to the association. Nevertheless, serious accidents continue to occur. While human error is usually the cause, Goebelt noted that 'technical defects can also play a role.' Therefore, it is crucial that bus companies invest more heavily in the maintenance and upkeep of their fleets.
Industry association rejects criticism
In contrast, the Federal Association of German Bus Operating Companies (bdo) emphasized that safety is the top priority for its members. The 'baseless and tendentious claim that maintenance and care are being cut for economic reasons' is 'most strongly rejected', said bdo Managing Director Christiane Leonard. 'We see the rise in the defect rate as a more fundamental issue. If ten percent of new buses fail the inspection after one year, then it is a systemic problem. Vehicle technology is becoming increasingly complex, and the requirements for buses are constantly rising.'
The bdo places the responsibility more on manufacturers: member companies 'rely on being delivered top-tier products that meet the high quality standards expected by passengers and operators - especially regarding road safety', Leonard said. 'There is clearly a need for improvement here.'/ruc/DP/men
