What goes wrong most with EVs? It's not what you think

A used-EV warranty analysis suggests that battery problems are not the most frequent repair requests for second-hand electric cars. Warrantywise reports that batteries did not even appear in the top five issues after analyzing EV repair requests from January 2023 to January 2026. Instead, faults tied to electrical systems—particularly sensor issues—topped the list, with an average repair request cost of £809.59 and a maximum claim of £3,270. Central locking ranked second, averaging £899, with the highest individual claim at £4,057. A 12V auxiliary battery averaged £533 and suspension wishbones averaged £1,230. The only component tied specifically to EVs in the top five was the on-board charger, averaging £2,159 and reaching a maximum claim of £10,455. The article cites SMMT data showing used battery-electric transactions rising 45.7% in 2025 to 274,815 vehicles and Warrantywise EV warranty sales up 68.2% between 2024 and 2025.