Many used cars are imported from one country to another to meet the local vehicle demand. Germany, France, Belgium, and Italy are the largest used car exporters in Europe, feeding the rest of the continent with second-hand vehicles. However, cars from these countries aren’t without flaws.
A latest research by an automotive data company revealed that many vehicles imported to Romania have clocked mileage and past damages.
Many imported German cars have shady history
carVertical analyzed vehicle history reports acquired by the platform’s users in 2023 and counted those with historical records from other countries.
44.2% of all imported cars checked last year in Romania were imported from Germany, 16.1% – France, 11.7% – Italy, 11% – Belgium, and 6.4% – the Netherlands.
While almost half of vehicles arrived in Romania from Germany, 3.4% of them had clocked mileage and 22.8% were damaged in the past.
The situation is no better with French cars: 3.3% of them had forged mileage and 41.2% were damaged. 4.8% of cars from Italy had their odometer altered and 13.1% suffered minor or major damages.
“Germany is the largest used car exporter in Europe. Since the country has a good highway infrastructure, it exports many premium and diesel cars with high mileage. People also believe Germans pay more attention to cars’ ownership and maintenance. However, when used vehicles move to owners in foreign countries, some information like servicing history or even mileage can be edited, and that makes up for higher risk,” says Matas Buzelis, an automotive expert and the Head of Communications at carVertical.
Sometimes buyers may be unaware they’re getting an imported car
Buyers can get an imported car by picking their preferred model from a foreign classified ads website and purchasing it directly or via a company specializing in import services. This way, the company arranges all the documents and delivers the car to the buyer’s doorstep.
Another way is buying a car in Romania that hasn’t been registered on the domestic market yet. In this case, a buyer has to register a vehicle themselves and pass the technical inspection.
“There’s also the third and the most risky option. A buyer can completely miss the fact that the car was imported to Romania because it was already registered and sold as a vehicle with no foreign history. Sometimes sellers don’t inform the buyers about the vehicle’s past,” explains Buzelis.
While the wide selection of imported cars may tempt used car buyers to make a spontaneous decision, it’s important to inspect a vehicle’s history to avoid unpleasant surprises months later.
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