About this project

What is APK Statistieken?

APK Statistieken is an independent project that analyzes APK inspection data to show defect patterns across car brands and models in the Netherlands. The goal is to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing a car.

Data Sources

All data comes from RDW Open Data, the official open data portal of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority. The following datasets are used:

  • Gekentekende Voertuigen - Basic information about registered vehicles
  • Meldingen Keuringsinstantie - APK inspection results
  • Geconstateerde Gebreken - Defects found during APK inspections
  • Gebreken - Descriptions of defect types
  • Brandstof - Fuel data for vehicles

Methodology

Defect Rate

The defect rate is the average number of defects found per inspection. A lower number means fewer issues were found during inspections.

Average Defects per Inspection

This number indicates how many defects are found on average per APK inspection. A lower number points to better build quality or maintenance.

Sample Size

The accuracy of the statistics depends on the number of inspections. Models are categorized as:

  • Small - Less than 100 inspections
  • Medium - 100 to 1,000 inspections
  • Large - More than 1,000 inspections

Statistics based on a large sample are more accurate.

Data Filters

Only passenger cars (voertuigsoort: Personenauto) are included in the analysis. Trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicle types are excluded.

Limitations

  • Correlation is not causation: A high defect rate may indicate poor build quality, but could also reflect poor maintenance by owners or more intensive use.
  • Age effect: Older cars have more defects. The statistics are not adjusted for age.
  • Model years: Different build years of the same model can have vastly different defect rates.
  • Selection bias: Certain brands are more often bought by people who maintain their cars better.
  • Historical data: The statistics are based on all available inspection data and do not necessarily reflect the current situation.

Update Frequency

The statistics are updated weekly based on the latest data from RDW Open Data. The date and time of the last update is displayed with the tables.

License and Attribution

The RDW Open Data used is available under the CC0 1.0 Universal (Public Domain) license.

This website is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW).

Technical Details

This project is open source. The source code and documentation are available on GitHub.

Frontend:
Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Data Processing:
Python
Hosting:
GitHub Pages
CI/CD:
GitHub Actions

Contact

For questions, suggestions, or bug reports, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.