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Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by bob1029 on Thursday January 29, 2026 @08:41AM (#46810070)
> "Axle suspensions suffer under the high weight of the drive battery, and the brakes are rarely used due to regenerative braking," Bühler told ADAC. "This can lead to defects in the brake discs, and there is a risk of reduced braking performance."

I had a 5th gen Camaro that had terrible brakes because I could never get the rotors/pads hot enough during normal operation to properly "clean" them. They were so big you just couldn't do it without visiting the freeway or a race track. I had to get the rotors machined or replaced about once a year because the car mostly went to the grocery store.

I think the best thing you can do is to occasionally stand on the brakes as hard as you can from >60mph. In a heavy EV you probably only need to do this once a week/month.

There is something about mechanical contrivances and rare use. Complex machines tend to get sloppy when they aren't exercised regularly. The best way to prove a machine will work correctly is to use it frequently.

Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by yabones on Thursday January 29, 2026 @08:54AM (#46810225)
Standing on the breaks frequently is how you end up with warped rotors, so there's some nuance here. Once in a while will stop rust and guck building up, frequently and you're replacing the discs early.
Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by ErroneousBosh on Thursday January 29, 2026 @08:46AM (#46810125)
> There is something about mechanical contrivances and rare use. Complex machines tend to get sloppy when they aren't exercised regularly. The best way to prove a machine will work correctly is to use it frequently.

I see this a lot on other sites where people talk about buying an old Landrover or Range Rover as a "weekend car". That's never going to work.

My nearly-30-year-old Range Rover had the fewest problems when I was putting around 3000 miles a month on it, all year round. If it sat long enough for the engine to cool to ambient, sure as shit you'd find something wrong the next time you started it.

Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by greenavocado on Thursday January 29, 2026 @09:00AM (#46810300)
Tightening lug nuts in a circular pattern instead of switching opposite sides is also a great way to warp rotors and I wager is probably more common than most think
Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by WarmWash on Thursday January 29, 2026 @09:35AM (#46810729)
It's not the pattern that matters so much as the torque spec, but you should still optimally switch sides while using a torque wrench.
Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by greenavocado on Thursday January 29, 2026 @09:15PM (#46819802)
I maintain that its both
Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by clash on Thursday January 29, 2026 @06:24PM (#46818350)
This appears to be even more of a problem with EVs and their regenerative breaking and I wonder whether this could not be easily fixed by software: "Breaks were not used recently or car did not move in some time? ⟹ Temporarily disable regenerative breaking for a few minutes until the break pads can be assumed to be clear again."
Re:TÜV Report 2026: Tesla Model Y has the worst reliability ... by SauciestGNU on Thursday January 29, 2026 @08:23PM (#46819459)
Reminds me of the concept of the "Italian tune-up" where carbon fouling in exotic sports cars would be rectified through a spirited driving session to cook it off.