What Wears Out

Problem area

Electric cars with brake problems

Regenerative braking means pads barely wear, so discs and calipers corrode and seize instead. It fails the inspection just the same, and it is usually more expensive than a set of pads.

8.9%of all electric-car failing defects
18.7%on petrol and diesel cars of the same age

Models where brakes take the biggest share of failures

Share of each car's own failing defects. A high share means this is what the car fails on, not that the car fails more overall: the fail rate column tells you that.

ModelBrakes sharevs fleetOverall fail rateTests
Street Scooter Unclassified55.6%3.0×6.4%109
Renault Twizy45.3%2.4×20.4%500
Toyota Proace35.7%1.9×4.8%208
Volkswagen UP32.3%1.7×9.5%201
Nissan NV20024.0%1.3×20.1%2,903
Peugeot Expert23.8%1.3×3.3%1,137
Nissan Leaf20.6%1.1×15.4%49,764
Mercedes-Benz Evito20.4%1.1×9.1%593
Citroen E-Dispatch20.0%1.1×6.6%151
Vauxhall Vivaro-E19.5%1.0×13.6%921
Kia Soul17.4%0.9×9.9%2,957
Skoda Citigo17.2%0.9×6.4%329
Honda Insight16.2%0.9×23.6%140
Nissan E-NV20015.6%0.8×19.3%6,054
Citroen E-C415.5%0.8×14.2%1,413
Peugeot Ion14.6%0.8×18.7%343
Maxus E13.8%0.7×21.2%936
Peugeot 200812.9%0.7×11.2%6,497
Citroen Berlingo12.7%0.7×18.5%216
Citroen C-Zero12.5%0.7×20.0%130
Citroen E-Berlingo12.5%0.7×6.9%102
Toyota Auris11.8%0.6×27.4%164
Vauxhall Mokka11.7%0.6×8.0%2,837
Hyundai Ioniq11.3%0.6×6.8%12,581
MG ZS11.3%0.6×9.4%13,341
Smart Fortwo11.2%0.6×9.7%921
Mazda MX-3011.1%0.6×6.4%2,026
Vauxhall Corsa10.9%0.6×14.7%8,595
Smart EQ10.8%0.6×8.3%2,590
Renault Zoe10.7%0.6×19.0%22,057
DS DS10.3%0.6×12.5%1,212
Renault Kangoo9.7%0.5×17.8%4,063
Tesla Model S9.3%0.5×18.0%10,892
Peugeot Partner8.4%0.4×8.1%778
Hyundai Kona8.4%0.4×8.1%15,479
Peugeot 2088.3%0.4×13.4%7,252
Nissan Dynamo8.1%0.4×12.0%249
Mercedes-Benz Eqv8.1%0.4×12.6%898
Vauxhall Combo-E7.7%0.4×6.7%163
Mercedes-Benz B-Class7.6%0.4×15.6%397
Tesla Model X6.7%0.4×18.3%6,208
Audi RS6.3%0.3×17.4%172
BMW I35.9%0.3×8.8%15,271
Mercedes-Benz Vito5.7%0.3×14.3%126
Ford Mondeo5.7%0.3×12.2%370
Ford Mustang5.6%0.3×7.0%2,846
Volkswagen Golf5.2%0.3×12.1%808
Kia Niro5.0%0.3×8.0%29,589
Volkswagen E-Up4.7%0.3×6.4%1,540
Lexus UX4.4%0.2×4.4%1,019
Jaguar I-Pace4.1%0.2×6.7%18,063
Volkswagen E-Golf3.7%0.2×11.9%6,536
Smart Forfour3.6%0.2×15.0%386
Volkswagen ID33.3%0.2×8.3%16,546
Porsche Taycan3.1%0.2×8.5%6,264
Kia EV63.0%0.2×5.2%1,399
Tesla MODEL 32.8%0.1×14.6%67,849
Seat Mii2.8%0.1×10.5%1,415
MG 52.5%0.1×8.6%8,748
Audi E-Tron2.2%0.1×9.1%14,319
BMW IX2.0%0.1×11.6%484
Fiat 500E2.0%0.1×12.6%2,577
Volkswagen ID42.0%0.1×8.8%6,402
Mercedes-Benz Eqc1.6%0.1×14.7%7,232
Tesla Model Y1.6%0.1×8.0%1,765
Mercedes-Benz Eqa1.5%0.1×10.1%5,119
Skoda Enyaq1.2%0.1×11.3%4,360
MG MG1.1%0.1×11.0%700
Volvo XC400.6%0.0×10.7%1,746
Mini Cooper Se0.6%0.0×9.6%9,945
Audi Q40.5%0.0×11.4%3,945
Polestar Polestar0.5%0.0×10.1%5,892
BMW IX30.4%0.0×11.4%3,079
Mercedes-Benz Eqe0.0%0.0×2.8%939
Toyota BZ4X0.0%0.0×0.7%138
Volkswagen Abt0.0%0.0×4.2%263
MG 40.0%0.0×5.7%966
BMW I40.0%0.0×6.4%266
Volkswagen ID50.0%0.0×2.9%204
BYD Atto0.0%0.0×1.6%124
Honda E0.0%0.0×7.6%1,476
Mercedes-Benz Eqb0.0%0.0×4.7%129
Mercedes-Benz Eqs0.0%0.0×3.2%280

What to ask the seller

  • Ask when the brakes were last stripped, cleaned and lubricated, not just when pads were changed.
  • Test the parking brake on a slope and listen for one side dragging.
  • Look for rust lips on the disc edges: pads that never wear leave discs to corrode.

Other problem areas

Tyres49.8% of electric failuresSuspension12.8% of electric failuresLighting10.7% of electric failuresVisibility11.4% of electric failuresSteering1.5% of electric failuresBody1.4% of electric failures
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