KTI inspection finds one in six Hungarian vehicles have technical issues

A national inspection conducted by the Institute for Transport Sciences and Civil Engineering (KTI) in Hungary revealed that approximately one in six vehicles on the road has some form of deficiency. The checks, held in connection with European Mobility Week, examined 656 passenger cars, of which 85.5 percent met regulations. The inspected passenger vehicles had an average age of 16.86 years and an average annual mileage of 13,325 kilometers.

Light commercial vehicles showed a higher compliance rate of 88.3 percent, while 88.6 percent of heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tons also met standards. Due to excessive pollutant emissions that significantly exceeded legal limits, 78 vehicles were sent for technical inspection and 54 were referred for periodic technical examinations.

The KTI noted that while the situation has improved compared to the turn of the millennium—when only half of diesel vehicles and two-thirds of gasoline vehicles met requirements—maintenance remains a critical issue. The most common causes for defects include neglected maintenance, operation under poor conditions, unprofessional interventions, and unauthorized modifications intended to increase performance without changing fuel consumption.