Three out of four Germans expect hidden damage when buying a car

Transparency note: This press release was originally published in German. The text has been machine translated. You can find the original press release here.

Current CARFAX survey shows: Many buyers expect fraud, manipulation or undisclosed defects.

Munich, 18 September 2026 - According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, more than 6.5 million used cars changed hands in 2025. Yet many buyers evidently expect unpleasant surprises as part of the process. This is shown by current survey results from CARFAX for Used Car Day on 18 September: Three out of four respondents (72 percent) fear undisclosed damage, while 69 percent worry about odometer tampering. 61 percent believe that fraud occurs frequently or very frequently in the used car market. Almost one in two respondents (45 percent) consider private sellers to be not very trustworthy or not trustworthy at all.

The results paint a picture of a market that many buyers barely trust. At the same time, these concerns are not unfounded: 28 percent of respondents say they have already experienced some form of fraud when buying a used car. 17 percent report damage that had not been disclosed at the time of purchase.

“The used car market thrives on trust. However, our results show that many consumers today enter purchase negotiations with the feeling that something is wrong rather than looking forward to their new vehicle. That should not be the norm for either buyers or reputable sellers,” says Frank Brüggink, Managing Director of CARFAX Europe.

Particularly noteworthy: Despite widespread mistrust, only few buyers use additional sources of information to check a vehicle’s history. Fewer than one in ten respondents in Germany have used a vehicle history report so far. Among those who have already used a vehicle history report, 70 percent said it strengthened their confidence in the purchase decision. For 17 percent, the most recently used report revealed a problem with the vehicle. In addition, 34 percent said they were able to negotiate a better purchase price based on the information.

Used Car Day was launched in 2009 by CARFAX Europe together with GW-trends. The aim of the awareness day on 18 September is to sensitize consumers, dealers and manufacturers to the opportunities and challenges of the used car market and to bring the importance of transparency in vehicle purchasing more strongly into public awareness.

“Today, many people evidently expect unpleasant surprises rather than a good deal when buying a used car. This mistrust is a challenge for the entire market. Greater transparency helps restore trust and better safeguard purchase decisions,” says Frank Brüggink.

About the survey CARFAX survey conducted in cooperation with Accenture among 1,000 participants living in Germany aged 18–75 who have bought a used car in the past 12 months or are planning to buy one in the next 12 months.