A sixth of the money paid for a second-hand car in Romania goes directly into the pockets of scammers. A recent study shows that mileage falsification inflates prices by 14.5%, generating a national damage of €131.6 million per year.
Romanians pay 14.5% more when they buy a car with modified mileage. Archive photo
The fourth annual Transparency Index analysis, which looked at millions of vehicle registrations, highlights a decline in market transparency, driven by a “data lock” for imported cars, which represent over 60% of the market and are 1.5 times more likely to have modified mileage.
Fraud worsens as the fleet ages
The analysis presents a worrying picture of the second-hand car market in Romania. According to the latest Transparency Index, which evaluates the general state of the market, Romania ranks 22 out of 25 countries studied, consolidating its position among the least transparent.
The study reveals that mileage falsification remains a persistent problem. In 2025, 7.5% of all vehicles checked had modified mileage – a significant increase from 6.9% in 2024. This trend is exacerbated by the constant aging of the vehicle fleet. The average age of used vehicles checked on the platform has increased from 9.4 to 10.2 years over the past few years, and 60.7% of them were imported from abroad. Damage history also remains a constant problem: almost six out of ten cars (58.2%) have previous damage, with an average damage value of 16,589 lei.
The current figures, based on the latest data, already reflect a trend, as there is little indication that market conditions for buyers will improve in the near future. Forecasts for early 2026 suggest that the rate of cars with fake mileage is expected to rise further to 8.2%, which would mark a four-year high. The average age of vehicles is also forecast to increase to 10.7 years, indicating that the challenges facing Romanian buyers are about to intensify.
Although they are becoming more popular, electric vehicles hide certain risks
The study highlights a steady upward trend, with the share of electric vehicles in total background checks increasing more than eightfold, from just 0.16% in 2021 to 1.32% in 2026.
This growth has also brought about a significant change in the brand preferences of buyers. Five years ago, Volkswagen was the most popular brand of electric vehicles checked (with a share of 27.9%). Today, its share has dropped to just 4.8%, while Tesla has taken the lead, rising from 24.1% to 41.8% of verified electric cars.
Remarkably, as electric vehicles become more advanced, they also become more secure against fraud. The data shows that the mileage falsification rate for electric vehicles has dropped drastically from 8.7% in 2021 to just 1.9% in 2026.
“While modifying the mileage of a modern electric car like a Tesla might be very difficult, older hybrids are a prime target for tampering. Buyers are attracted to green features, but often overlook the fact that they involve complex systems. To meet market expectations for lower mileage, sellers perform extreme mileage modifications on these vehicles, which can hide significant wear and tear on the battery and engine“, explains Matas Buzelis, car market expert at carVertical.
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In addition, the analysis shows that the average cost of damages for electric vehicles has increased to approximately 26,477 lei, indicating a clear tendency of buyers to opt for models in the premium segment from brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, which are more complex and more expensive to repair if they have a hidden history.
Over 60% of second-hand cars in Romania are imported
The study identifies the lack of data transparency across borders as the main factor favoring fraud. Given that 60.7% of all second-hand cars in Romania are imported, their maintenance history is often lost at the border. According to the data, this makes them 1.5 times more likely to have modified mileage than cars used only locally.
The lack of transparency has a direct financial consequence. In Romania, buyers pay an average of 14.5% more when purchasing a car with modified mileage, almost a sixth of the car's actual value.
For example, a 2014 BMW 3 Series with an actual mileage of 100,000 miles might be presented to a buyer as having only 100,000 miles. This 60,000 kilometer discount artificially increases the price of the car by 14.5%, causing the buyer to unknowingly pay much more for a vehicle with much more wear and tear than stated.
“Buyers associate low mileage with a high car value, and sellers manipulate that perception to justify a higher price. Upfront overpayments are only part of the financial equation. More significant costs later come from expensive repairs to the engine, suspension and other major components, which are a direct consequence of the vehicle's actual, unreported level of use.”“, adds Buzelis.
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The Ministry of the Environment is trying to regulate the import of used cars
Recently, the Minister of the Environment, Diana Buzoianu, announced that she has debated a draft ordinance that establishes a rigorous legislative framework regarding the import of second-hand products, including used cars brought from abroad.
Among other things, it is also prohibited to put on the market/make available on the market in Romania any used vehicle that is damaged and declared “total damage” (cars that have been declared total technical or even economic damage)/removed from use/not registered in the country of origin.
“Individuals are allowed to bring into the territory of Romania, for personal use, only a number of 2 used vehicles per year, a number of 2 electric scooters used per year or a number of 2 bicycles used per year, goods that are obliged to declare them within 72 hours of entering the country at the county commissariat subordinate to ANPC where natural persons have their domicile/residence”it is stated in the project's substantiation note.
