Checking a car in Germany before you buy

Last updated: September 22, 2026

Checking a German car starts with two documents, not with a feeling: the HU (TÜV) report and the service book. A car is inspected 36 months after first registration and every 24 months after that, and each report states the odometer reading of that day. In 2018 the European Parliament cited an estimate that 30–50% of used cars sold across a border have a manipulated odometer — Germany to Latvia is that kind of deal.

TÜV, or HU: what the report proves and what it does not

The short answer with a number: a car takes its HU (Hauptuntersuchung, colloquially "TÜV") 36 months after first registration and every 24 months after that — Annex VIII, item 2.1.2.1 of the StVZO (read 2026-09-21). A valid sticker proves one thing: on that day the car met the requirements.

The valuable part is the paper — the Untersuchungsbericht, with the VIN, the date, the odometer reading of that moment, the defects found and the next due date. Ask the seller for the last two or three and line the readings up by date. You cannot get them yourself: a duplicate goes only to whoever was the keeper at the time (GTÜ), and the central register, holding HU data since 1 October 2017, is not public (KBA, both read 2026-09-21).

Sticker colour = the year the deadline falls

Next HU	Sticker colour
2026	blue
2027	yellow
2028	brown
2029	pink

The number on top is the month, the colour is the year; six colours repeat on a six-year cycle (ADAC, read 2026-09-21).

Papers: ZB I, ZB II and the service book

The answer with a number: a German car has two registration certificates, and the second matters most. Teil I travels with the car; Teil II shows who holds it — its top section lists the last two keepers, and the total number of previous keepers is recorded separately, without names (ADAC, read 2026-09-21). Compare three things on the spot: the seller is the keeper in the ZB II, the VIN matches the body and the windscreen, and the number of keepers matches the ad.

The service book (Scheckheft) is the second mileage line. ADAC advises putting invoices, HU reports, oil-change stickers and service entries side by side and checking that the mileage grows evenly; a professionally rolled-back odometer is missed by most workshops and OBD scanners (adac.de, read 2026-09-21).

VIN history and mileage: the numbers that move the price

The answer with a number: in its resolution of 31 May 2018 the European Parliament cited an estimate that 5–12% of used cars sold domestically, and 30–50% of those sold across a border, have a manipulated odometer. Drawing on police data, ADAC writes about every third used car sold in Germany and roughly €3,000 of inflated value per car (adac.de, read 2026-09-21).

Do three things on our side before you pay. The first two are free; the third — a paid history report — is the cheapest insurance against a €3,000 mistake.

🔎 Free VIN check 📉 Mileage check 📄 Paid history report (carVertical)

Where to look for these cars and how to read a German ad — Where to look for a car in Germany.

What "Unfallfrei" really means

The answer with a date: "unfallfrei" is a promise with legal consequences. On 10 October 2007, in case VIII ZR 330/06, the German Federal Court of Justice held that only a very small external paint blemish counts as trivial; sheet-metal damage does not, however well it was repaired. Get the word into the contract — and read the other side too: "Unfallschaden repariert" or "Bastlerfahrzeug" means you have been warned.

One more word with numbers behind it: for a consumer buying from a trader, the liability period for used goods may not be cut below one year (§476(2) BGB, read 2026-09-21). That is why ads say "nur an Gewerbetreibende" and "nur Export": such a sale is not a consumer sale, and that year is not in it.

Eight scam patterns and their signs

The answer with a number: the eight patterns below cover almost everything the European Consumer Centre Germany lists as common in 2026 (evz.de, read 2026-09-21). They share one sign: money is asked for before the car has been seen.

1. Advance payment to a "private seller"
How it works: The full price or a deposit is requested before the viewing, because "someone else is already interested".
The sign: Money before anyone has seen the car in person.
2. A shipping company instead of escrow
How it works: The car is "abroad" and a carrier will hold a deposit (around €2,000) until delivery. Neither exists.
The sign: The safeguard is a third party the seller found for you.
3. A price far below the market
How it works: The same model, year and mileage costs more everywhere else, but this one must be "sold urgently".
The sign: A disproportionately low price plus time pressure.
4. Stolen photos and forged papers
How it works: A fresh listing, photos lifted from another ad, and in reply a scanned stranger’s passport as "proof".
The sign: Documents exist only as pictures — and your own ID copy is requested.
5. A stolen car with blank papers
How it works: Forged or stolen blank registration forms. The car will not pass registration in Latvia, and the money is gone.
The sign: The ZB II looks new, but the keeper entries do not match the seller.
6. A dealer wearing a private seller’s mask
How it works: A trader sells, but an "acquaintance" signs as a private person — which erases the consumer’s statutory liability.
The sign: A private ad, a dealer’s forecourt, and a third name on the contract.
7. "Nur Export" instead of a warranty
How it works: The ad says "nur an Gewerbetreibende" or "nur Export": the sale sits outside consumer law, so the one-year liability is gone.
The sign: German wording about selling only to businesses or for export.
8. A rolled-back odometer and "gekauft wie gesehen"
How it works: The mileage does not match the HU reports, and the contract says "bought as seen" — so there is nothing to claim.
The sign: The seller will not show the old HU reports or the service book.

Three things you never agree to: paying before the viewing and the test drive, sending a copy of your passport, and paying through a money-transfer service.

When nobody can view the car in Germany

The answer with a price and a year: an independent inspection in Germany in 2026 starts at €119 for ADAC members and €145 for everyone else; with a test drive and a body check €149 and €179; the full package €199 and €239 (ADAC Nordrhein, read 2026-09-21).

Compare that with what you pay anyway: on top of the car’s price, bringing it from Germany to Latvia adds 856–1186 € — transport 550–800 €, CSDD registration with the first roadworthiness test, and OCTA for the first year. Work out your figure in the calculator. Import cost calculator.

The third route is not to travel: look at cars already priced for Latvia and start from the VIN. Cars from Germany priced for Latvia.

The whole road from an ad to a Latvian plate — How to buy and bring a car from Germany.

Frequently asked questions

Does the TÜV report prove the mileage?

It records it rather than proves it: every HU report states the odometer reading on the day of the inspection, and a car goes through one every 24 months. Put the last two or three reports in date order and you see whether the mileage grew evenly.

How often does a German car need its inspection?

The first one 36 months after first registration, then every 24 months (Annex VIII of the StVZO). The sticker colour shows the year the deadline falls: 2026 blue, 2027 yellow, 2028 brown. The number at the top is the month.

How can a buyer get hold of the old HU reports?

Only from the seller. A testing organisation issues a duplicate to whoever was the keeper at the time, and to anyone else only with that keeper’s written consent. The central register has held HU data since 1 October 2017, but it is not public. A seller who will not show the papers has already answered.

What does "unfallfrei" mean, and is it binding?

It is binding. On 10 October 2007, in case VIII ZR 330/06, the German Federal Court of Justice held that only a very small external paint blemish counts as trivial; sheet-metal damage does not, however well it was repaired. Get the word into the contract.

Why do ads say "nur an Gewerbetreibende" or "nur Export"?

That is how a seller steps outside consumer law. In a consumer sale of used goods the limitation period may not be cut below one year (§476(2) BGB), but a sale to a business or for export does not carry that year. It does not mean the car is bad — it means the risk is yours, and the price has to reflect it.

What does an independent inspection in Germany cost?

The prices ADAC Nordrhein publishes in 2026: the basic package €119 for members and €145 for everyone else, with a test drive and a body check €149 and €179, the full one €199 and €239. Other regions and organisations charge differently and do not always publish a price — ask the centre.

Which signs almost always mean a scam?

The European Consumer Centre names three: money before the viewing and the test drive, a disproportionately low price, and a seller who avoids meeting in person, citing being abroad or a shipping company. Two demands you never accept: a copy of your passport, and payment through a money-transfer service.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from these sources; the date beside each is the day it was read.

StVZO, Anlage VIII (gesetze-im-internet.de) (read 2026-09-21)
HU intervals for a passenger car: the first inspection 36 months after first registration, then every 24 months (item 2.1.2.1).
ADAC — TÜV-Plakette lesen (read 2026-09-21)
Sticker colours by year and how to read the month off the sticker.
GTÜ — Untersuchungsbericht suchen und anfordern (read 2026-09-21)
A duplicate report is issued only to whoever was the keeper at the time of the inspection; anyone else needs that keeper’s written consent.
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) — Hauptuntersuchung im ZFZR (read 2026-09-21)
Since 1 October 2017 HU data, mileage included, is held in the central vehicle register; the register is not open to the public.
European Parliament — resolution of 31 May 2018 on odometer fraud (read 2026-09-21)
Estimate: 5–12% of used cars sold domestically and 30–50% of those sold across a border have a manipulated odometer.
ADAC — Tachomanipulation (read 2026-09-21)
Every third used car sold in Germany, about €6 billion of damage a year, roughly €3,000 of inflated value per car — and what to cross-check.
ADAC — Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (read 2026-09-21)
The ZB II shows the last two keepers at the top; the total number of previous keepers is recorded separately, without names or addresses.
BGH, 10.10.2007, VIII ZR 330/06 (read 2026-09-21)
Only a very small external paint blemish counts as trivial; sheet-metal damage does not, however well it was repaired.
§476 BGB (gesetze-im-internet.de) (read 2026-09-21)
In a consumer sale of used goods the limitation period may not be cut below one year, and only by an express, separate agreement.
EVZ Deutschland — Betrug beim Autokauf im Internet (read 2026-09-21)
The common patterns: advance payment, a "carrier" deposit, forged documents and websites, stolen cars, a dealer posing as a private seller, phishing.
ADAC Nordrhein — Gebrauchtwagen-Check (read 2026-09-21)
Published inspection prices: €119/€145, €149/€179, €199/€239 (members / non-members).