What is an A-problem at the APK?

CarXray groups the more than 1,000 RDW defect codes into four types. An A-problem is a defect in the structure, safety or costly mechanics of the car — the kind of defect that really matters for a used car.

A Structure & safety

Structure, safety and costly mechanics: rust on load-bearing parts, brakes that do not work properly, play in steering and suspension, broken springs, emission and particulate-filter problems, seat belts. These defects matter most for safety and repair costs.

Most common:

  • Veer gebroken of gescheurd (1.5%)
  • Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij (1.4%)
  • Fusee(kogel) te veel speling (1.1%)
  • Remverschil op 1 as te groot (1.0%)

B Wear & maintenance

Wear and maintenance: tyres, bulbs, wipers, headlight aim, boots and hoses. Normal with use and usually cheap to fix.

Most common:

  • Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde (7.5%)
  • Band onvoldoende profiel (6.2%)
  • Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld (5.3%)
  • Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt (4.8%)

C Advisory

Advisory points (codes AC and RA): the inspector sees something that will soon need attention, but it is not (yet) a defect. No fail.

Most common:

  • Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm (6.6%)
  • Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen (5.1%)
  • Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage (2.7%)
  • Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm (2.1%)

D Administrative

Administrative and modifications: plates, papers, wrong light colour, tyre size. Says little about the technical condition.

Why this grouping?

A failed tyre says little about how well a car is built; rust on a load-bearing beam does. By comparing only A-problems you see which models have serious problems more often at the same age. The grouping is our own, not an official RDW classification; it is still being reviewed by a certified APK inspector.

The most common APK defects · Ranking of most reliable used cars

Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know