One in three vehicles that are legally required to undergo the technical vehicle inspection (ITV) in Spain has failed to do so over the past year. This means millions of vehicles are circulating on public roads without any official verification of whether they are safe or roadworthy.
Compounding the issue, one in five vehicles that do attend inspection stations are rejected due to serious or very serious defects. These worrying findings were released by Guillermo Magaz, the managing director of the Spanish Association of Collaborating Entities of the Administration in the Technical Vehicle Inspection (AECA-ITV). During a presentation in Madrid, Magaz highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, “A vehicle that does not pass the ITV is a weapon that kills.”
The annual report presented by ITV industry representatives shows that the Spanish vehicle fleet continues to age. The average age of vehicles on the road has reached 15.2 years, representing an increase of 0.1 years compared to 2024. This upward trend is not uniform across all categories; while the average age of coaches and buses dropped by 0.7 years, the age of heavy goods vehicles rose by 0.3 years. Currently, one in two vehicles on Spanish roads is more than 15 years old. This structural ageing worsened significantly following the pandemic. In 2017, only 35% of the vehicle fleet exceeded 15 years of age. In 2024, approximately 800,000 vehicles were scrapped.
Geographically, Madrid boasts the most modern fleet, with an average vehicle age of 10.6 years. The Basque Country and Valencia follow further behind with an average of 15.1 years. At the bottom of the table, Melilla records the oldest fleet at 18.1 years, followed by Castilla y Leon at 17.5 years and Extremadura at 17.2 years, according to data from the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) compiled by AECA-ITV.
In terms of usage, heavy goods vehicles weighing over 12 tonnes accumulate the highest average mileage at 562,324 kilometres, followed by large coaches at 475,358 kilometres. Conversely, mopeds have the lowest mileage, with an average of 20,159 kilometres.
The report identified the primary mechanical failures that cause vehicles to be rejected at an inspection station. Lighting and signalling issues topped the list, accounting for 23% of rejections. This was closely followed by polluting emissions at 22%, tyres and suspension at 20%, and brakes at 11.4%. Magaz noted that environmental emissions are the only defect category currently on the rise, warning that if current trends continue, emissions failures could overtake lighting faults by next year. Agricultural vehicles and motorcycles show the highest compliance rates, at 87% and 84% respectively, while heavy goods vehicles (71%), coaches (73%), and vans (74%) are the least compliant.
Vehicles rejected during the inspection generally present an average of two serious or grave defects. Coaches, heavy goods vehicles, and trailers lead this statistic with 2.7 defects per rejected vehicle, followed by vans at 2.3. Magaz attributed this primarily to incorrect or deficient vehicle maintenance. For standard passenger cars, the single largest cause of failure is emissions, accounting for 26% of rejections—a figure that rises to 39% for ambulances and taxis. For heavy goods vehicles, braking systems represent the main failure at 26%, while 52% of agricultural tractors fail due to faults in their lighting and signalling systems. This poses a major hazard on public roads, as slow-moving agricultural vehicles occupy substantial space and need to be visible from a significant distance.
The presentation featured photographic evidence of shocking defects uncovered at inspection stations, including a heavy goods vehicle wheel holding onto its axle by just two out of ten nuts, both of which were on the verge of falling off. Such a failure could cause the wheel to detach entirely and potentially overturn the vehicle. Other inspections revealed completely cracked or corroded brake discs and brake callipers held in place solely by a plastic zip tie. Magaz described the danger, explaining that if such a heavy component detached at speed, it would become a high-velocity projectile hitting oncoming traffic.
Further extreme examples included fractured commercial chassis frames, a fuel tank plug replaced by a simple cloth rag, and a wing mirror substituted with a household bathroom mirror held on by cellophane tape. Inspectors also documented high-risk anomalies such as a steering ball joint secured only with wire, an airbag that had deployed but was simply cut away rather than replaced, and a clutch pedal fabricated from a block of wood bound with wire. Other bizarre discoveries included an accelerator return mechanism rigged out of foam rubber, a standard beach chair used as the driver’s seat in a commercial vehicle without any secure anchorage, and a samurai sword modified to serve as a gear stick.
Data shows a clear correlation between vehicle neglect and inspection delays. Owners who suspect or know their vehicles have faults frequently delay their appointments. Among those who delay their inspection by up to six months, 30% are found to have serious or very serious defects. This figure rises to 51% for delays between six and twelve months and reaches 65% for vehicles that are overdue by more than a year.
Magaz concluded that many motorists deliberately avoid the inspection because they know their vehicle will fail, choosing to risk a traffic fine rather than pay the high cost of necessary repairs, which significantly increases the collective danger on the road network.
