The plague of undisclosed damage in the used car market: 75% were concealed by sellers in the last two months alone
Transparency note: This press release was originally published in Polish. The text has been machine translated. You can find the original press release here.
The transparency of the Polish used car market leaves much to be desired. A new CARFAX study reveals a disturbing trend: three out of four Poles who checked the history of a used car and discovered damage were not informed of it by the seller beforehand. This can be particularly problematic in the premium segment: for brands like Audi and BMW, the percentage of vehicles with risk factors exceeds 90% and 80%, respectively.
As many as 74% of Poles who checked the history of a used car in the CARFAX database in March and April of this year before purchasing it and found information about damages were not informed about them by the seller. The CARFAX database contains data on over 21 million registered used cars in Poland. Last year, 63% of the cars checked by Polish CARFAX users had a history of collisions, and 84% had various risk factors (e.g., unusual odometer readings or inconsistencies in import history).
Reports from the beginning of the year clearly indicate a significant decline in transaction volume and the number of first registrations of imported used cars. We're experiencing a market cooling (a slight recovery is only visible in March), which translates into longer car turnover times and a capital freeze in dealerships. With low demand, the pressure to maximize margins on each sold unit is growing. Hiding defects is becoming a calculated strategy for many sellers to maintain profitability, says Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager at CARFAX Polska. "I'd also like to draw attention to a new factor that soon may change the consumer landscape: the growing import of used cars from China. Among other things, the hermetic nature of the local automotive sector and different legal regulations make verifying service history or damage to a car from this source very difficult for European consumers.
For dishonest importers, this presents an opportunity to import damaged vehicles and introduce them to the Polish market without a trace in publicly available registers. It requires buyers to change their behavior, perhaps even prioritizing safety over attractive prices. Sellers' declarations should not be considered sufficient, especially if the import is from a source where obtaining reliable data is impossible. However, if the decision to buy a used car from China is one that the buyer intends to make, the best possible way to secure the transaction at this moment is an independent, physical audit of the technical and bodywork condition of the vehicle carried out before signing the contract.
Premium brands are the most risky
Analysis of Polish used car market data from CARFAX for specific brands shows that the highest places among the cars with the highest risk are occupied by those from the premium segment:
Portrait of a Polish car: 15 years and over 3 owners
The most popular brand among Poles on the used car market is Volkswagen (10%), followed by Opel (8%) and Ford (7%). The high rankings of Audi and BMW (13%), combined with their high risk ratings, confirm that buyers of these brands should exercise the utmost vigilance.
In 2025, approximately 3.5 million used cars changed hands in Poland. The average car was 15 years old and had an average of 3.6 owners. Imports are a key factor contributing to the unclear history of cars. As many as 72% of these cars came to Poland from abroad, which can make verifying service history difficult without access to international databases.
The data above states clearly that checking the history of a used car against databases like CARFAX, taking it for a test drive and visiting an independent garage for a comprehensive inspection can significantly reduce the risk of purchasing a faulty vehicle and should be carried out every time before purchasing a used car.