Car reliability analysis based on periodic technical tests

Abstract This article presents the results of the analysis of data from 500 vehicle control stations concerning periodic tests of passenger cars in the number of 2 million. Based on the collected data, a database of vehicles has been prepared to cover technical information, such as model, mass, engine capacity and maximum power. This information has been summarized with the exploitation data such as age of the car, distance traveled, the area in which the vehicle was most frequently used, the use for business or private purposes, and intensity of operation that was measured by the ratio of kilometers traveled to the age of the car. This information constituted a set of factors affecting the reliability of the car. Information about reliability itself was the results of control tests, including occurring defects and their significance. The occurring defects were codified, which allowed their allocation to particular categories describing car systems, such as steering, braking and driving. While the significance of the fault resulted from the test result: positive (minor defects) or negative (important defects). This article presents a factor and the correlation analysis of the database, which assesses which construction and operating factors have a significant impact on damages occurring in individual car systems.