21:52 10-03-2026
ADAC 2025 roadside assistance report: breakdown causes and EV callouts
The ADAC 2025 report shows rising breakdowns, with battery issues top cause. EV and hybrid callouts increased, highlighting common problems in electric vehicles.
The German automobile association ADAC has released its roadside assistance report for 2025. During that period, technicians responded to 3,691,813 callouts, roughly 60,000 more than in 2024.
On average, a breakdown call came in every nine seconds. The busiest day was December 29, when ADAC staff made 18,588 trips. January was the most demanding month, with 356,847 driver assistance cases recorded.
The most common cause of breakdowns remains a flat or faulty starter battery, accounting for 45.4% of all incidents. In second place are issues with engine management systems and high-voltage components, including sensors and the injection system.
As the number of electric vehicles grows, so do related callouts. In 2025, 50,445 fully electric cars needed assistance, about 15% more than in 2024. In most cases, the culprit was again a faulty starter battery.
Plug-in hybrids are also breaking down more frequently: ADAC responded to such vehicles 59,985 times, approximately 13% more than the year before. This rise in callouts is linked to the growing number of electric cars and their increasing age on European roads.