On-board fraud: the mileage of 5-year-old cars in Romania, reduced by an average of 70.000 km

The Hidden Vice of the Used Car Market: Mileage Backward by Over 70,000 km on Used Cars in Romania

A new study by automotive data company CarVertical sheds harsh light on the depth of mileage fraud in Romania, demonstrating that the practice is no longer limited to very old cars. According to the analysis, a vehicle that is only 5 years old sold in Romania has its mileage reversed, on average, by over 70,000 kilometers.

These shocking figures confirm buyers' fears and highlight the extent of "invisible theft" affecting the used car market, artificially inflating the value of vehicles and exposing new owners to unexpected maintenance and repair costs.

Mileage, a "Ghost" Not Just of the Past

Although older cars are considered the most prone to manipulation, the study reveals that even relatively new models are not immune.

•     General Average: 5-year-old cars have, on average, over 70,000 km erased from the real history.
•    Vintage Models: For cars manufactured in 2000, the average mileage rolled back reaches a staggering 107,200 kilometers. Models over 20 years old generally show a reduction of over 100,000 km on average.
•    The models most susceptible to fraud are those manufactured in 2009, with 13.2% of the cars checked having manipulated mileage.

Affecting Recent Vehicles

Even very new cars are targeted by this practice:

•     1.7% of cars produced in 2021 had their mileage changed, with an average of 83,000 km rolled back.
•     1.3% of those in 2022 and 1.5% of those in 2023 were affected, with averages of 29,800 km and 35,200 km deleted, respectively.

Claims History: Another Major Problem

In addition to mileage fraud, the study also highlights an increased incidence of unreported accidents on the Romanian automotive market.

•     Cars between 2008 and 2016 are the most affected, with between 62% and 63% of them having damage records.
•     Surprisingly, new cars have a high damage rate: 45.3% for those from 2021, 45.4% for 2022, and even 51.8% for those manufactured in 2023.

This statistic suggests a serious problem related to the repair and resale of damaged cars, even almost new ones.

Repair Costs Are Growing Exponentially

Another notable aspect is the increase in the average repair cost with the younger age of the vehicle.

•     For a car manufactured in 2000, the average repair cost is €1,700.
•     For a 2020 model, the average cost is €3,700.
•     For cars manufactured in 2023, the average repair cost reaches up to €7,900.

This indicates that although newer cars may have their mileage rolled back less frequently, when they do suffer damage, repairs are much more complex and expensive, due to the integrated technology.

Buyer Protection and Legal Framework

Mileage fraud is a crime in Romania, but, according to analysts, our country is among the markets with a high incidence of this practice (almost 20% of previously checked cars had mileage problems).

Without uniform legislation at European level and severe sanctions, ranging from fines of hundreds of thousands of euros (France) or imprisonment (Croatia), trafficking in manipulated cars remains a profitable business.

To protect themselves, used car buyers are advised to take additional measures:

1.     Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Verification: Using vehicle history verification platforms to obtain data from trusted sources (police, insurance, technical inspections from various countries).
2.     Physical Inspection: Checking the wear of key elements (pedals, steering wheel, driver's seat) which should be directly proportional to the displayed mileage.

In conclusion, the CarVertical study serves as a serious warning: in the Romanian used car market, caution and rigorous vehicle history checking are more than an option – they are a necessity.