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Karolis Bareckas

The car buying process takes patience and time and often involves one unpleasant part – doing everything to avoid cars with a fake mileage. As it turns out, this is easier to do when getting an expensive car.

Our latest research proves that mileage fraud affects both cheap and expensive vehicles – but the scale of manipulation varies.

Check any VIN to learn a vehicle's history!

Afraid of buying a wreck?

7.5% of cars under €5,000 in our research were clocked.

15.9% – the highest share of clocked cars under €5,000 in the study is found in Ukraine.

Cheap cars in Eastern Europe are clocked the most.

1.8% of all vehicles above €50,000 had manipulated odometers.

4.1% – the highest share of clocked cars above €50,000 in the research is found in Spain.

The cheaper the car, the higher the risk of odometer fraud

Since our customers buy thousands of reports every day, we can explore trends in the used car market.

 When it comes to mileage fraud, the trend is evident – the cheaper the car is, the more likely its odometer will be altered.

If you’re buying a car under €5,000, you should be cautious as 7.5% of vehicles in this price range are clocked. Vehicles priced between €5,000 and €10,000 are also risky, with 6.5% being clocked. The situation gets better and stabilizes among cars costing between €25,000 (2.5% clocked) and €50,000+ (1.8% clocked).

This tendency of cheaper cars being clocked more isn’t unique to a single market – 

lower-priced vehicles tend to have the highest fraud rates across many countries

When buying inexpensive cars, drivers are less likely to go through all the steps to avoid issues. For example, they 

may skip ordering a vehicle history report

 or taking the car to a service center for inspection. Fraudsters are aware of this and often target lower-cost vehicles by rolling back the 

“Buyers always look for cars with low mileage. But if they don’t verify whether that number is accurate, they risk being misled and significantly overpaying. Issues related to wear and tear may also appear soon after the purchase,” explains Matas Buzelis, automotive expert at carVertical.

Low-cost cars are targeted more often in Eastern European countries

Clocking rates in different countries vary significantly. 

Mileage fraud is more widespread in Eastern Europe

. However, this isn’t engraved in stone – odometer tampering is a common scam, and every country has its share of shady sellers.

Let’s take cars costing up to €5,000. Depending on the model, condition, technical specifications, and 

, you can expect to buy a 10–20 year old car for this sum. While an older, well-maintained car can serve you well, 10–20 old cars often have a high mileage. As mentioned above, 

1 out of 13 budget cars may have an altered odometer

But depending on where you live, the chances of getting a clocked vehicle may be even higher.

For example, in Romania, 11.1% of all cars under €5,000 were clocked. In Lithuania – 10.3%, in Latvia – 13.5%, in Poland – 5%, in France – 3.2%, in Hungary – 7.5%. While in some countries like Portugal, Italy, or the United Kingdom, the share of clocked sub-€5,000 vehicles varies between 2% and 3.4%, this doesn’t mean that buyers should be careless.

“The financial situation across Europe is different. Typically, buyers in Eastern and Central Europe are more price-sensitive. Buying a clocked car means that you’re significantly overpaying for it, which is a paradox, considering that people choose a low-budget vehicle to save money,” says Buzelis.

Luxury cars involve bigger financial losses

According to our data, 2.4% of all vehicles from €30,000 to €35,000 were clocked.

 In the €35,000–€40,000 price bracket, the share of vehicles with tampered odometers was 2.2%, the same as in the €40,000–€45,000 range. Even if we take the most expensive cars in this research, costing from €50,000, 1.8% of them had manipulated mileage.

Although scammers target cars at all price points, mileage fraud in the premium segment can result in greater financial damage. Our previous research shows that car buyers spend 21% more on average for a vehicle with a clocked mileage. What does this actually mean?

If you buy a clocked car for €2,000, its real value may be around €1,600. In this case, you give away €400 for scammers.

 Now, let’s say you’re buying a used car for €50,000. Your financial losses may be around €10,000. And this is just a starting point, as its condition will be worse, and you will eventually spend more money on repairs than you may have expected.

While cheaper cars are clocked the most in most researched markets, this isn’t the case in Portugal and Spain. In the €40,000–45,000 price range, 4.9% of all vehicles in Portugal were clocked. In Spain, the share is even higher – 5.8%.

Typical signs that may suggest mileage fraud

 are full of vehicles with tampered mileage, it’s possible to avoid them. Here are some signs that may suggest odometer manipulation:

 Shady sellers sometimes offer their cars for lower prices to make a quick sale before the buyer finds out about the mileage manipulation.

 The condition of a car’s interior can also reveal its actual mileage. A worn-out steering wheel, gear knob, pedals, or upholstery may suggest the car has done far more kilometers than advertised. If the mileage is low, but the interior looks heavily used, that’s a red flag.

 Fraudsters may pressure potential buyers to make a quick decision, claiming that others are also interested. Those who rush into the deal without checking the car’s background often end up disappointed.

 Missing maintenance records or inconsistent mileage logs in service books or inspection reports may indicate that the seller is hiding something.

While these signs may not necessarily mean that the car has a manipulated mileage, it’s worth being extra careful. You can’t know whether the previous owner was just careless and didn’t keep the service records or is trying to scam you.

Either way, you should always check the history of a car you’re buying if you don’t want to end up among thousands of scammed drivers. And don’t forget that some models are clocked more than others, which is also worth taking into account when browsing classified ads.

How to learn the car’s actual mileage from a history report

The carVertical vehicle history report has 

a special section called Odometer, where you can quickly learn whether the car’s mileage is genuine

The odometer readings of every car are represented in a graph, allowing you to see how they changed throughout the vehicle’s lifespan. In the real case below, you can see that carVertical detected 12 mileage records for this car since 2014. However, in 2018, its mileage was altered by more than 50,000 kilometers.

Buyers generally avoid vehicles with mileage above 200,000 km, meaning such cars will be worth less.

Not everything is black and white. Some cars change multiple owners throughout their lifespan, and the current seller may not even know that their vehicle has altered mileage. However, even if you decide to buy a clocked car, you can use the history report to negotiate a better price.

Avoid costly problems by checking a vehicle's history. Get a report instantly!

Check your VIN

carVertical’s study analyzed actual vehicle history reports purchased by the company’s customers between March 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025. Vehicles with tampered mileage were grouped by price range, their share was calculated in percentages, and results were ranked accordingly.

Odometer fraud across different price brackets: low-cost vehicles are found to be the riskiest

You just can’t grab the first car you found on a marketplace and expect to drive for years without trouble. Technically, it’s possible, but you have to be among the lucky ones.

Just how lucky? That’s what we’re here to find out.

According to our data geeks, finding a car with a clean history can be quite a challenge.

 We analyzed a lot of VIN check data from a bunch of European countries to learn the statistics: how common are clean cars? Which makers are safer? And more.

Enter a VIN code to learn more about any vehicle!

Need help buying a used car?

A clean car is one that doesn't have any recorded incidents in its 

. Such a vehicle will hold its price better and serve longer. Let’s dive into the details of what a clean car is.

A car in our study can be called clean if:

The period between mileage records is no longer than 3 years

A vehicle with a clean history report must not:

Have been used as a taxi, ride-sharing, or car-sharing vehicle

While every driver wants to buy a car that hasn’t been involved in any accident or been clocked, in reality, the used vehicle market is full of cars whose histories are far from clean.

Want a car with a clean history? French and Italian brands may be your answer

Italian and French automakers can sigh in relief as they dominate the list of clean cars in Europe. 

Alfa Romeo takes the crown with 65.1% of vehicles checked on carVertical having clean histories.

 Peugeot (62.9%), Renault (61.3%), Citroen (61.2%), and Fiat (59.4%) are close behind.

Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, and Fiat produce economy-class vehicles that may be less susceptible to fraud. If you’re some shady dealer, you don’t want to risk clocking the mileage or hiding damages of some cheap hatchback, as your profit will be low. That’s why scammers target more expensive car brands to earn more money.

So, why on earth does Alfa Romeo have the highest share of cars with clean histories? Shouldn't it be at the other end of the spectrum?

While Alfas are considered sporty cars, they don’t attract the same crowd as BMW, Porsche, and Subaru

, whose owners may often indulge in more aggressive driving. Estimates say that, in 2023, Alfa Romeo delivered around 70,000 cars. That’s not a lot, as most manufacturers count their vehicles by hundreds of thousands or even millions of units. This explains why Alfa Romeo attracts scammers less. They just don’t want to clock the mileage of a car that may have a high price but fewer interested buyers.

If you’re some shady dealer, you don’t want to risk clocking the mileage or hiding damages of a cheap hatchback, as your profit will be low. Scammers tend to target more expensive car brands to earn more money.

What if we narrow down our scope and look at the situation in different countries? Apparently, the dominance of French and Italian car manufacturers is visible across the continent. Fiat has the most vehicles with clean histories in Czechia (54.1%) and Finland (91.1%). Renault – in France (74.1%). Citroen – in Hungary (54.6%), Croatia (72%), and Latvia (67.1%). Peugeot – in Lithuania (64.1%), Poland (50.3%), and Ukraine (64.1%). Alfa Romeo – in Slovakia (62.8%).

depending on the country, other car brands may also have a clean history

. In Spain, Lexus has the highest share of vehicles with clean history records – 88.6% of all VIN checks on carVertical. In the UK – Honda (72.1%), in Italy – Toyota (95.2%), in Portugal – Toyota (91.5%), in Romania – Lexus (60.5%), and in Serbia – Toyota (79.6%).

Finding a premium car without defects may be difficult

 finding a car with a clean history requires time and effort, some brands are particularly risky

. Among all vehicles checked by carVertical in the research, BMW models had the worst results – only 23.2% had a clean history. BMW has the lowest share of vehicles with clean histories in multiple countries, including Spain (8.9%), France (21%), Hungary (13.5%), Croatia (15.7%), Latvia (15.7%), Poland (6.9%), Portugal (3.9%), Slovakia (4.2%), Romania (8%), Serbia (22.3%), and Ukraine (11.2%).

Next on the list were Porsche (32.5%) and Volvo (40.8%).

In most countries included in the study, premium cars were significantly less likely to have a clean history, meaning that fans of these brands should be especially cautious when shopping for a used model.

Many people dream of owning a premium-class car, but they don’t always fully assess the risks involved in buying one. Since these vehicles are more expensive, dishonest sellers are more likely to falsify their mileage or hide defects.

To purchase a premium-class car at the lowest possible price, buyers often overlook its history

 or fail to check what kind of damage it may have sustained in the past. Later, as various defects begin to surface, you may face unpleasant surprises, and significant repairs can drive the ownership expenses to unpredictable costs.

How to find a vehicle with a clean history

So, obviously, you want a car with a clean history, the one that will be worth every penny and won’t cause you any trouble in the long run. Be it an economy-class Dacia, a premium Lexus, or a BMW. But where should you start?

 in the ad, so anyone interested in that model may check its history. However, some owners may forget to do that, so don’t hesitate to contact them and ask. 

If the seller isn’t willing to share the VIN or claims that their car is flawless and there’s no point in getting a history report, it’s a high chance that you’ve met a shady seller.

2. Check a car’s history on carVertical

 hop on carVertical and check the car’s history

. Evaluate any damage the vehicle has suffered, mileage, ownership changes, safety recall records, and its historical photos.

However, brace yourself – finding a vehicle with a clean history may not be easy. But this doesn’t mean you should completely ignore cars with minor issues. What is more, you can use this information to negotiate a lower price.

If the history report is clean or at least doesn’t contain any information that may suggest that a vehicle is a lemon, go for a test drive. 

Don’t forget to inspect the car for any rust, leaks, scratches, and dents. Check if all the electronics work properly.

 It’s best to try the car at different speeds and on various terrains. Listen to any noises from the engine bay or suspension you may not like.

If you still feel that the car you checked might be the one, do the final step and bring it to an authorized service center for inspection. If the vehicle’s history is unclean and it has past damages or other 

, use this information in a report to discuss the car’s condition with a mechanic.

They can evaluate the car’s state and give their opinion of how certain damages were repaired.

 Additionally, they will hook up diagnostic tools so you can learn more about the car.

Finding a used vehicle shouldn’t be a gamble. By employing carVertical’s history report and following the buying process meticulously, you may find a reliable ride. However, 

if you buy the first car you see without actually digging into its history

, the excitement of getting a new vehicle may quickly fade due to persistent mechanical failures or electrical faults.

The carVertical study analyzed vehicle history reports purchased by the company’s customers from January 2024 to December 2024. Cars with clean history reports were counted by brand, converted into percentages, and ranked accordingly.

Research: A used car with a clean history – mission (im)possible?

Evaldas Zabitis

Generating a history report on carVertical takes just a minute, but that time adds up when you need to check multiple vehicles. That's why we've introduced a new feature that lets you generate up to 10 reports at once, saving you time and simplifying the process.

Reveal them all! Just enter a VIN code and click the button:

Used cars have dark secrets

We wanted to make carVertical more convenient for those checking multiple vehicles at once. That’s why we created the new 

, which is perfect for used car sellers and dealerships that provide history reports with their cars, as well as individuals checking cars in bulk.

Thanks to this feature, you can simply paste in a list of VIN numbers or enter them individually. And the best thing is that 

all these reports will be generated as quickly as you’d be generating one report – in about a minute

This feature isn’t exclusive to dealerships or used car sellers – even a regular car buyer can check multiple vehicles more conveniently now.

Once you have your VINs ready, generating history reports for them is simple. Just go to “

,” and type or paste your VINs into the “

You can enter up to 10 VINs in this field, and each VIN can be separated by commas or spaces. Remember that a VIN number must be 17 characters long. Click “

And that’s it! All your generated VINs will appear in the “

” part of the page in the same amount of time it takes to generate 1 report. Multiple VIN check is available for both businesses and individuals

Checking multiple VINs at once can save time in many situations for both used car buyers and sellers. Here are a few common scenarios where this feature can come in handy.

Used car dealers frequently purchase vehicles in bulk from online auctions to secure better deals and reduce transportation costs. With more buyers now checking a car’s history before making a purchase, dealers also need to ensure each vehicle has a clean record.

From now on, you can simply drop all the VINs in one place and 

 faster. Moreover, there’s also an option to download these reports in PDF format, allowing you to print them to provide transparency and gain trust when reselling these cars.

When buying a used car, most people typically narrow their options to 4-5 vehicles, and a quick history check is often the final step before contacting sellers. Instead of entering, generating, and checking each report one by one, this feature lets you input all the VINs in one place and generate the reports with just a single click.

Does it take more time to generate several reports?

Is this feature available to everyone?

What does “Refund” status mean?

A new way to generate history reports – check up to 10 cars at once

Renata Liubertaitė

If manually buying reports every month isn't your idea of fun, why not make things easier? With the newly updated 

, you can set it up once and leave the rest to us, ensuring you'll have access to them whenever you need.

Learn about what we've improved, how subscriptions can benefit you, and how to ensure you never have to worry about refilling credits again.

A carVertical subscription is a service designed to ensure you always have access to our reports. Instead of manually reordering when credits run out, you can choose a subscription plan that renews automatically every month (or sooner if needed).

Depending on your needs, you can purchase a carVertical subscription package of 

 from the purchase date and are renewed every billing day.

Auto refill: forget about tracking your credits

As part of our updated subscriptions, we’ve added a new auto refill functionality.

If your credits reach 0 before the renewal date and the auto-refill feature is enabled, they will be automatically refilled based on your subscription plan. Note that this will also adjust your billing date to match the refill date.

The auto refill ensures you no longer need to manually enter your payment information to top up your credits, so you'll always have enough to generate a report whenever you need one.

activating the toggle button on your subscription page.

If you’re already using (or have ever used) our subscription service, you’ll notice 

a few other improvements in addition to the new auto refill functionality:

 Once buried in the Settings, subscription details and management are now conveniently accessible from the side and drop-down menus (

 You can add a new card, edit your payment details, and set a new default card directly on the subscriptions page.

 You can cancel your subscription anytime on the subscriptions page (no strings attached). After canceling the subscription, credits remain available until the next billing date.

 If you wish to reactivate your most recent subscription plan, you can do so on the 

If you need more information on setting up a carVertical subscription, read our Help Center entry for 

How can you benefit from a carVertical subscription?

A carVertical subscription can benefit car buyers and sellers who require ongoing access to accurate vehicle data. 

Instantly check a vehicle’s history whenever you need it

Eliminate the need to refill credits manually or with the help of our team by enabling auto refill

Improve the process of checking vehicle histories, whether you're buying, selling, or simply researching

With a carVertical subscription, managing your vehicle information is simple. No more manual data entry – just easy access to reliable vehicle reports whenever you need them.

Business

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