80% of Italian CARFAX users who checked their vehicles were unaware of all the damage revealed by the vehicle’s history
Transparency note: This press release was originally published in Italian. The text has been machine translated. You can find the original press release here.
More than 8 out of 10 CARFAX users who received a CARFAX report on a vehicle’s history showing at least one accident or instance of damage were unaware of all the damage listed for the car they were about to purchase. In 2025, 49% of vehicles checked on carfax.it by Italian users had at least one risk factor, such as an accident, previous damage, or an inconsistency in the import history or mileage. Out of 3.22 million used cars bought and sold in Italy, the numbers are alarming. Among the brands most at risk are Audi (61%), BMW (60%), and Mercedes (59%); among the models, the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes A-Class, and Volkswagen Golf all exceed 55% of vehicles with detected anomalies.
Milan, April 15th, 2026 - Buying a used car without knowing its history can cost much more than expected: 80% of Italian users who received a CARFAX report detailing the vehicle’s history and damage reports stated that they were unaware of that damage before performing a license plate check. This is revealed by a study conducted by CARFAX, a leading international provider of vehicle history information, on a sample of Italian customers who had performed a license plate check on the platform and received a report indicating accidents or damage.
This figure takes on even greater significance in light of the 2025 analysis of the Italian market: this year, 49% of vehicles checked on carfax.it showed a risk. Applying this percentage to the 3.22 million used cars bought and sold in Italy in 2025 (source: ACI), we arrive at an estimate of over 1.6 million vehicles that could be hiding a problematic history, perhaps never disclosed to the buyer.
The picture remains the same even when considering only cars involved in traffic accidents or other incidents that have resulted in damage documented in the CARFAX database: the percentage stands at 36%, equivalent to an estimated 1.1 million used vehicles with a history of damage among those bought and sold in 2025. The CARFAX report is not only requested at the time of purchasing a car but can also be useful at other stages of the vehicle’s life. Therefore, when applying this data to the entire vehicle fleet (source: UNRAE), it is estimated that approximately 20 million cars present at least one risk factor and that 14.8 million have sustained damage or been involved in traffic accidents.
These figures make a vehicle history check no longer an option, but a concrete necessity for anyone preparing to buy a used car.
Analyzing the most common brands in the Italian used car market by decreasing risk index, Audi leads the ranking with 61% of vehicles having at least one risk factor, followed by BMW (60%) and Mercedes (59%). The figures are lower for Fiat, the most common brand on the Italian used car market with 11% of the total, which stands at 49%, and for Volkswagen at 46%. The gap between premium and mainstream brands is not surprising: high-end cars stay on the road for a long time, change owners multiple times, and accumulate a history that is more complex to trace without a dedicated tool.
The same pattern holds true when looking at the five most popular models on the used car market. At the top, in terms of the percentage of vehicles with risk factors, is the BMW 3 Series at 59%, followed by the Mercedes A-Class (58%), the Volkswagen Golf (55%), and the Fiat 500 (52%). Bringing up the rear is the Fiat Panda, the best-selling model on the Italian used car market, which, with 43% of vehicles having risk factors, is the “safest” on the list—though nearly one in two vehicles still requires attention. These figures confirm that a VIN check—regardless of the model or brand—is always the first step before any purchase, before seeing the car in person, test-driving it, and having it inspected by an independent repair shop.
“At a time when the used car market is playing an increasingly central role in the automotive sector, checking a vehicle’s history provides tangible protection for buyers,” comments Marco Arban, Director of Business Development for Europe at CARFAX. “When buying a used car, you may come across vehicles with various risk factors, ranging from inaccurate mileage to past damage. In this context, requesting a CARFAX report can help Italian drivers approach the purchase with greater peace of mind. This isn’t necessarily due to a desire to withhold information on the part of sellers: often, they too do not have all the information about the vehicle’s history. In this sense, CARFAX not only supports the buyer but also serves as a valuable tool for dealers, helping to make the market more transparent and balanced.”