Stuttgart  - Electrical and engine problems are the main causes of car breakdowns with a trend toward "major damage" to engines and chassis, the Auto Club Europe (ACE) said in a report.

The auto club, which analysed 90,000 breakdowns in Germany last year, said a defective battery (26.27 per cent) still topped the list.

A report released earlier this year by Germany's largest automobile association ADAC also showed a similar trend with four out of ten breakdowns resulting from faulty electrics or battery problems.

There was a slight improvement on figures compared to 2006 but this could be attributed to a mild winter, the ACE said.

Germany's technical testing authority (TUeV) said that 17 per cent of all vehicles tested last year revealed serious mechanical problems. It estimated that 8 million of the 42 million cars on the roads in Germany had serious defects. (dpa)