First time for the periodic technical inspection – safety and environmental protection

For new drivers, many things are new. Including the first trip to the periodic technical inspection (HU) with your own car. GTUE Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH offers it nationwide at its test centres in Germany. It is a mandatory inspection: the legislator has designated it as such to make road traffic safer and to ensure a high standard of environmental protection. The inspection organisation explains how to pass the HU on the first attempt and make it as pleasant as possible.

Very convenient: GTUE makes the periodic technical inspection as pleasant as possible. Flexible appointment scheduling helps enormously, and on the day itself you simply drive up and hand in the car keys and Registration Certificate Part I (“vehicle registration document”) at reception. After that, you can make yourself comfortable with a cup of coffee and browse through the magazines on display. Registration Certificate Part II (“vehicle title”) is not required. The inspector does not ask about driving skills – they only carry out a technical check of the car.

Some allow the customer to be present in the inspection hall – it is best to simply ask. And the expert will of course also appreciate a clean car.

The basic facts: The expert’s first step is to match the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the chassis with the data in the registration document. Do the licence plate and HU due dates also match all the information provided?

Not too late: The HU appointment must not be significantly overdue. When the inspection is due can be seen from the sticker on the rear licence plate or from the entry in the registration document. The sticker is applied so that the due month is at the top; the year can be found in the middle. From two months late, an extended HU is required and higher inspection costs apply.

Braking system: It takes around half an hour for GTUE inspection engineers to thoroughly examine the vehicle according to a prescribed scheme. A key objective of the periodic technical inspection is road safety. Take brakes, for example: they must function reliably on every vehicle. On the roller brake tester, GTUE professionals determine the braking force of each individual wheel, as well as the brake force distribution between wheels and axles. Accident risks lurk: if the relevant limit values are not met, the stopping distance can be significantly longer or the car can skid. The condition of brake discs and brake lines is also checked. All results are recorded in the inspection report and are easy to understand.

View from below: The check of steering and suspension also serves safety. For this, the car is placed on a lift and viewed from below. Do the front wheels respond directly to steering movements? Or with a slight delay, i.e. with “play”? Tie rods, tie-rod ends, the steering gear, as well as boots and seals are also checked. On older vehicles, corrosion can impair the function of some suspension components.

Clean air: If all exhaust aftertreatment systems of petrol and diesel engines are optimally adjusted and function perfectly, the environment, air quality and health benefit. Smoke plumes from the exhaust are rare thanks to modern engines with fuel injection systems and catalytic converters.

Whether all settings are correct and the vehicle complies with the applicable emission limits is determined by the emissions test (AU) using diagnostic equipment. It is an integral part of the periodic technical inspection and in many cases is carried out via a probe in the exhaust. Some vehicles store their own limit values via on-board diagnostics; the inspection engineer reads this data via a connector and checks engine settings, catalytic converter and particulate filter for defects.

Communication: Is the periodic technical inspection complete? Some people are not interested in how the inspection engineer proceeds in detail. Others are all the more interested. Gladly: many GTUE inspection engineers are happy to explain the inspection result.

Perfect condition: In most cases, the overall verdict is “no defects found”. The inspection engineer returns the vehicle with a new sticker on the rear licence plate, and the registration document receives a new stamp. The customer receives the detailed inspection report – and drives off with the good feeling of being at the wheel of a thoroughly inspected vehicle.

Minor fixes: If the conclusion is “minor defects”, the inspection engineer has identified small issues that do not directly endanger road safety. These can be worn wiper blades or slight oil dampness on the engine, transmission or rear axle. They note these faults in the inspection report. To stick with these examples: it then makes sense to replace the wiper blades and to watch out for whether oil spots can actually be seen under the vehicle at some point. In that case, a repair is usually advisable before major damage occurs.

A bit more: Not a disaster, but still annoying, is the verdict “major defects” on the inspection report. In that case, road safety or environmental compatibility is impaired. The listed defects must be remedied within four weeks; then the car may return to the test centre for a simplified re-inspection at lower fees. Otherwise, everything starts again from scratch with a complete periodic technical inspection.

Rejected: Only rarely does it come to the extreme case with the verdicts “dangerous defects” or “unroadworthy”. In this case, the vehicle may no longer participate in road traffic until the defects have been remedied.

Such a drastic verdict is possible, for example, if brake lines are leaking or a wheel can no longer be properly secured.

GTUE tips for a pre-check: Very many “major defects” can be avoided with simple checks that anyone can carry out themselves within 15 minutes. Do all lights work, including reversing lights and hazard warning lights? Against a wall at dusk or at night, you can quickly see whether a headlight is shining correctly forwards or strongly upwards, downwards or to the side. Do all tyres have sufficient tread? Does the horn work? Are a high-visibility vest, warning triangle and first-aid kit on board? GTUE provides checklists with detailed information on what motorists can check themselves. Here is the link: https://www.gtue.de/de/gtue/publikationen/checklisten/fuer-pkw. If you prefer more convenience, have a workshop carry out the pre-check. A trip to the professionals is essential if warning lights stay on permanently, indicating faults in, for example, the anti-lock braking system, cooling system or engine.

Statistics prove the importance of the HU: GTUE carries out many millions of periodic technical inspections year after year. The data shows how useful a periodic technical inspection is. A tiny excerpt: in 2025, GTUE inspected almost two million vehicles up to twelve years old with different types of powertrain. More than 160,000 of them did not receive a new sticker after the initial inspection due to “major defects”. 60,000 of these vehicles were refused the sticker due to worn brake pads and worn brake discs. Damaged brake discs also rank high in the defect statistics for inspected vehicles with purely electric drive (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV).

Better to check beforehand: Regardless of the type of powertrain, tyres are also frequently criticised, usually due to insufficient tread, damage, or because they are not approved for the vehicle. GTUE inspectors also note incorrectly adjusted dipped headlights strikingly often – a “major defect” that can, of course, be easily avoided before the trip to the test centre with the right expert adjustments.

• Whether new driver or experienced: the HU is usually done after 30 minutes and a cup of coffee
• Before visiting the test centre, it is best to check the lights and tyres yourself
• Defect grading depending on the vehicle’s weak points
• Brakes are criticised particularly often by inspection engineers

Author: Michael Teschke | Source and Photo: GTUE

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