For several years, the automobile club ADAC has published an annual report of the most common breakdowns encountered in Germany. In 2021, the number of interventions was up compared to 2020. And 12V batteries still represent the majority of problems.
” In 2021, ADAC Highway Patrol drivers and our partners provided motorist assistance nearly 3.5 million times “, can we read in the study carried out in Germany. This represents approximately 3% more compared to the previous year marked by Covid-19. To put things in context, the ADAC plays a mediating role in the public debate around mobility but also (and above all) as a repairman for almost half of the interventions across the Rhine.
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12V batteries, the ADAC’s nightmare
” No component fails more often than the starter battery. A look at current ventilation statistics from the ADAC shows this – and it has essentially been so since the first data was collected in 1967 “, explains the organization. Based on this assumption, it is not surprising to find the 12V battery as the cause of 46.2% of interventions in Germany in 2021 (46.3% in 2020).
However, there is nothing surprising about these figures. Indeed, there are many ways to discharge your battery without wanting to. A badly closed door, lack of driving or excessive use of on-board equipment, engine off, can put you in a carafe. To avoid this as much as possible, the ADAC recommends recharging the battery on the mains at regular intervals but above all making a long journey in order to let the alternator recharge your battery. Including for electric cars, which are still equipped with them.
Insufficient effort?
If the problem of 12 Volt batteries persists after several decades, it is because the miracle solution does not exist for manufacturers. No viable technology has yet replaced the good old lead acid battery. If the brands wish to increase their size, this will affect the price of the vehicle but also that of maintenance without really improving the lifespan of the object (5 to 6 years on average according to the German club).
Toyota, for example, found itself in trouble on its Corolla and C-HR models built between 2017 and 2019. The brand has since turned to another battery supplier and decided to change them free of charge for all owners of these batteries. models, if necessary. BMW, meanwhile, continues to develop strategies to reduce breakdowns related to this accessory. In the 2000s, the Bavarian firm suffered the full brunt of the anger of customers affected by the problem. They then decided to install a display in the cars which ” clearly alerts the driver when the battery is low. Next, the measures taken by the vehicle to save the starter battery are explained. », continues the ADAC.
Other types of breakdowns
Just behind the batteries, out of the 3,492,335 calls recorded by the ADAC in 2021, we find 15.5% of breakdowns attributable to the engine and its management. And this represents almost only thermal vehicles since “ specific components of electric cars such as battery, electric motor or charging technology were rarely responsible for failures “, confirms the automobile club.
This is followed by a share of 14.8% representing various elements such as bodywork, steering, braking or transmission. Next come starter or alternator malfunctions (10.3%) followed by tire punctures (7.0%). On this point, the ADAC delivers a rather amusing anecdote. ” In the first years of registration, punctures represent a significant part of the volume of breakdowns. They are usually the result of initial driving errors (curbs!) with the new car. Because from the 3and year after the new registration, the rate drops – at first sharply, then slowly and very continuously “. A phenomenon that we find with key problems.
