TÜV and the HU roadworthiness inspection

1. What the HU actually is

The Hauptuntersuchung is a statutory technical inspection of roadworthiness. Everyone calls it "the TÜV" because TÜV organisations have carried it out for decades, but they are not the only ones: DEKRA, GTÜ and KÜS are also approved, and prices and waiting times differ between them.

The inspection includes an emissions test, the Abgasuntersuchung, which is normally carried out at the same time and included in the price.

When you pass, an inspector applies a sticker to the rear number plate. It is designed to be read at a glance: the number at the top shows the month, and the colour changes each year, which is how police spot an expired one from outside the car.

2. How often it is due

The interval depends on the vehicle type and age. For an ordinary car the pattern is simple.

3. What is checked

The inspection is about safety and emissions, not about cosmetic condition. A scruffy car in good mechanical order passes; a shiny one with corroded brake lines does not.

• Brakes, including the handbrake and brake lines
• Steering and suspension
• Lights, indicators and reflectors
• Tyres, including tread depth and damage
• Bodywork and chassis corrosion, especially where it affects structural strength
• Exhaust system and emissions values
• Seat belts and their anchorages
• Windscreen condition and wipers, and the field of vision
• Electronic safety systems, and the electronic interface on newer vehicles

4. Passing, failing and re-inspection

Results are graded rather than binary. Minor defects still allow a pass with a note. Significant defects mean no sticker until they are fixed, and you get a defect report listing them.

You then have a limited period to have the work done and return for a partial re-inspection, which costs less than the full test. Miss that window and you pay for a full inspection again.

A vehicle judged dangerous can be prohibited from further use, which means it should not be driven away.

5. If your inspection has expired

An overdue inspection is a straightforward offence, and the consequences escalate with the length of the overrun. A short overrun attracts a modest fine. Beyond a couple of months the fine rises, and penalty points on the driving record become likely.

Beyond a longer overrun, the inspection itself becomes more expensive: an extended inspection is required, with a surcharge, because the organisation has to examine a vehicle whose recent condition is unverified.

There is also an insurance dimension worth taking seriously. An expired inspection will not usually void your cover outright, but if a defect that the inspection would have caught contributes to an accident, an insurer can reduce or refuse payment.