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I’m most indebted to Albert VDB for sending in this translation of a news release about the DEKRA vehicle deficiencies report.

As noted here on the site yesterday, the Saab 9-3 did very well in this survey, winning to categories of the midsize vehicle class.

As you’ll read below, this is as extensive vehicle inspections survey, involving more than 15 million cars. The full results will receive wide publicity, too, with a special report to be published early next year in Germany’s Auto Motor and Sport magazine.

I hope the good people at Saab Germany are drawing up their marketing campaigns already

This is a great result for the Saab 9-3. It’s been criticised in years past for quality problems and it’s good to see that improvements in the car are starting to be reflected in these types of studies.

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DEKRA deficiencies report 2009: German cars again in the top class

* Audi A6 wins as “Best of all classes”
* Ford S-Max/Galaxy with the lowest rate of defects
* Innovative evaluation after mileage classes further optimized
* 15 million vehicles as a data base

STUTTGART – DEKRA, the world leader in vehicle inspections, presented on Monday, 15 December 2008, the results of the “DEKRA deficiencies reports 2009″. From the report the Audi A6 is referred to as the “Best of all classes”, and thus ranks just before the BMW 7 Series and BMW 5 Series. With the newly created title experts elect those models that have the lowest defect rates over a long mileage and thus a high long-term quality.

For the “DEKRA deficiencies report 2009″, experts analyzed data from more than 15 million vehicles. The DEKRA deficiencies report 2009″ will be published on 8 January 2009 in a Special Issue “Used Car Special 2009″ of the magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

“The this year further optimized DEKRA deficiencies report provides car buyers with even better relevant information on used cars,” said Ing. Clemens Klinke, Chairman of the Board of Management of DEKRA Automotive Ltd. “With a special assessment on the basis of more than 15 million principal investigations, it offers real and informed purchasing advice. The type-specific evaluation and classification in seven car sections and three mileage categories prevents an “apples and oranges” comparison. Also those deficiencies remain unconsidered, that are more due to bad maintenance like for example, worn tires or worn out wiper blades. This brings the car buyers an additional practical added value. ”

Ford S-Max/Galaxy gets the title of “Lowest deficiency rate “

As before the report elects also of the vehicles with the lowest rate used-car specific shortcomings. The clear winner from this analysis is the Van S-Max/Galaxy Ford with a share of 96.7 percent deficiency-free vehicles, and thus comes before the Renault Clio III and the Mazda 5.

However, this form of analysis favours the newly introduced models on the market due to its advantage in age. New on DEKRA used car report 2009 are the standardised mileage categories for all vehicle classes.

In the current report, the experts now classify also the Minicars / small cars and compact cars, like all other vehicle classes, in the three mileage ranges from 0 to 50,000 km, from 50,000 to 100,000 km, and 100,000 to 150,000 kilometers. This means that all models of different vehicle classes are comparable to each other.

Another novelty of the shortcomings reports is the ranking of “Best of all classes.” This overall winner of models represented in all mileage categories, characterized by the lowest average deficiency rate in all three mileage categories. The Audi A6 secured this quality award. “With the new ranking, Best of all classes”, we want to include both the models with low mileage and high mileage in the evaluation and give a meaningful quality verdict over the whole vehicle life,” says Clemens Klinke.

A lot of continuity in vehicle categories

The look in the ranking tables of the seven categories of vehicles from Minicar / small cars to vans shows continuity: Some models were similarly positioned as in the previous year, while others used the opportunity pushed further forward through quality. Again, the German cars give a good figure in the DEKRA deficiencies report. In the seven vehicle categories and three categories of mileage, the German models took 13 of 21 first places. In the special report “Best of all classes” cars from domestic production ranked at eight of the ten first places. The German cars set the tone for the vehicles of the upper middle / upper class, sports cars and vans, while in the fiercely competitive classes of compact cars, small cars, middle class and SUV’s the competition was more visible. Of the automotive brands BMW, Audi, Mazda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford drew positive attention by a low rate of defects.

Most defects in small cars

The experts from DEKRA found the most deficiencies in minis / small cars, compact cars, sports cars and vans,. In the category up to 150,000 km they registered by far the highest rate of defects in small cars. Ranking behind these are the sports cars, the vans, the compact class and SUV’s. opposed to this, the vehicles of the upper middle / upper class show by far the lowest percentage of defects.

Basically, it should be noted that the percentage of defects rises strongly on vehicles with increasing mileage. So, for instance, small cars in the area from 100,000 to 150,000 km show more than four times as many shortcomings as in the area from 0 to 50,000 kilometres. This is particularly true for the most expensive to repair defects in brakes, suspension, steering and engine.

With the 2009 report DEKRA continues the last year introduced innovative concept of mileage related evaluation of vehicle defects. Thus, the experts take into account the fact that the wear of vehicles is less dependent on age than on the mileage. Therefore, this leads to much more realistic statements about the technical quality of automobiles than other popular evaluations.

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Ranking in each vehicle class

Minicars / Small cars: The mileage area 1 (0 to 50,000 km) lie Renault Clio III, Toyota Aygo and Mazda 2 in front, in the mileage area 2 (50,000 to 100,000 km) there are as in the previous year the Mazda 2, Honda Jazz and Mitsubishi Colt, while in mileage in area 3 (100,000 to 150,000 km) Audi 2, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta / Fusion claim top position.

Compact car: In the mileage range 1 Toyota Prius, Ford Focus and Mazda 3 are ahead. In the medium mileage category are VW Golf V, Mazda 3 before Skoda Octavia and in the mileage range 3, Skoda Octavia, Ford Focus and VW Golf V are at the top.

In the middle class: The Saab 9-3 shifts in the areas of mileage 1 and 2 all the way to the front before the Audi A4 and Toyota Avensis, while in the mileage area 3 the Audi A4 (as in the previous year) makes the race, before Toyota Avensis and Mazda 6.

The upper middle / upper class is a domain of German manufacturers, Audi and BMW taking the first places on the podium for themselves. In the mileage areas 1 (identical to the previous year) and 3 the Audi A6 leads before the BMW 7 Series and BMW 5 Series.

The three models that also as “Best of all classes” lead the overall standings. In mileage area 2 the Audi A8 places itself before the BMW 7 Series and Audi A6 (same as last year).

In the case of sports cars and convertibles the mileage area 1 last year’s winner Mercedes SLK places itself before BMW Z4 and the BMW 3 Series Convertible, and sets the Audi A4 Cabriolet and BMW Z4 aside also in mileage area 2, while in mileage area 3 the BMW 3 Series Convertible crown up before Mazda MX-5 and Audi TT.

In the category of SUV the previous year’s second BMW X3 makes the race in mileage area 1 before Subaru Forester and Hyundai Tucson, the mileage area 2 does the Porsche Cayenne wins against the BMW X3 and Subaru Forester and in the mileage area 3 Toyota RAV4 is placed at the top before BMW X5 and Mitsubishi Pajero.

In the van category the Ford S-Max picks the victory before Mazda 5 and Seat Altea, while in the mileage area 2 the Seat Altea has its nose ahead against Ford C-Max and Volkswagen Touran. In the mileage area 3 with the Touran, Caddy, and T5 three Volkswagen models decide the race for themselves.

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Again, my thanks to Albert for the translation and here’s hoping Saab milk this one for all it’s worth.