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Karolis Bareckas

We all want to buy a used car in top-notch condition. One that will serve you without any issues for years to come. However, the used car market is full of vehicles with shady histories and broken expectations.

, we have a saying: “Every car hides a story.” And this is the story of a car checked by our users in Romania. Meet the 2012 Volkswagen Caravelle – a spacious minivan that doubles as a road trip companion and work horse for the service industry.

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

Used cars have dark secrets

A secret of making a car look “younger”

From the moment it left the dealership, our Caravelle didn’t slow down. In just 2 years, it had already covered 89,000 kilometers – and that was only the beginning. As the years passed, it just kept going.

The van spent most of its time driving in Austria. However, in 2023, it was registered in France, and the next year, it arrived at its final destination – Romania.

While still in Austria, in 2022, the Caravelle reached an eye-watering 814,426 km on the odometer, which is roughly 20 times around the globe. Astonishing numbers for a vehicle – it would make any car manufacturer proud.

Sadly, this is exactly when the magic begins. 

By the time the Caravelle is registered in Romania, the odometer shows just 174,399 km. That means over 640,000 km have simply vanished

 – wiped clean, gone without a trace. And no, this isn’t some exaggerated marketing stunt. It’s a real car with a real report.

, the car had already driven a few thousand kilometers more, and, according to its history report, is now approaching 180,000 km.

Is this a one-time discovery? Definitely, not. 

We regularly encounter cars with their mileage altered across Europe, including Norway.

 Sometimes it’s just a minor manipulation of 20,000 km, but often the figures are much higher – going well into hundreds of thousands of rolled back kilometers.

Imagine that you’re looking for a spacious van and encounter one you like with relatively low mileage – only over 174,000 km. You shake hands with the seller, and soon you’re the new owner of a car that, in a few years, will clock 1 million kilometers.

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

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Is getting a clocked car really a bad idea?

As you can probably guess, the higher the car’s mileage, the lower its price. Some time ago, we conducted research, which revealed that buyers overpay 21% on average for a vehicle with manipulated mileage.

This problem is widespread among imported cars. You may be surprised to learn that 

there’s no unified car registry in Europe

, which would allow you to track a vehicle’s history throughout its lifespan, especially when it moves from country to country.

What happens now is that countries don’t exchange vehicle data. Therefore, when a car is imported into another jurisdiction, its mileage is often manipulated. Not to mention hidden damages and other red flags that may cause concern.

We can only imagine how worn some components of a car, which has driven more than 800,000 km, could be.

 This purchase will no doubt cost the new owner a significant amount of money in repairs. Occasional breakdowns shouldn’t come as a surprise either.

Avoiding clocked Caravelles and other cars with shady histories

Would you buy this Caravelle with over 640,000 clocked kilometers? We’d be surprised if you do. We can only imagine what other horror stories this car may hide.

To learn the history of a car across borders and avoid falling prey to scammers, you need to do one simple thing – 

This will not only reveal mileage discrepancies but also provide damage records, ownership changes, technical specifications, and other information crucial when buying a used vehicle.

 is also a great tool for negotiating a better price. Sometimes a car may be okayish but worth less than the asking price. With a report at hand, you can expect to lower that price and avoid overpaying.

bring the car to an authorized service center for an inspection,

 where professionals will connect diagnostic tools, read any fault codes, and assess the condition of the mechanical components.

Junkyard reports #1: the story of one Volkswagen Caravelle and its 640,000 km rollback

The EU has set its sights on a cleaner future, planning to pull the plug on new fossil fuel car sales by 2035. Sounds like the beginning of an electric revolution, right? Not quite.

Despite generous government incentives – tax breaks, grants, and other financial perks – drivers across Europe are proving to be creatures of habit. The moment these incentives disappear, so do EV sales.

Our recent survey sheds more light on the situation: at least half of all car buyers today wouldn’t even consider an electric vehicle. So while policymakers may be revving up for an electric future, it seems many drivers are still stuck in neutral.

A well-maintained and undamaged car is the most reliable! Check any VIN code to make sure you're not buying a wreck:

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Half of car buyers wouldn't consider going electric, citing high prices, limited range, and weak infrastructure.

Petrol and diesel still dominate driver preferences across Europe, with only 5.6% choosing EVs as their ideal fuel type.

Lower maintenance costs (47.2%) and tax benefits (17.6%) are top motivators for potential EV buyers.

Just 14% cited environmental concerns as their main reason for choosing electric.

Poland is the most EV-skeptical nation, while Finland leads with over 26% openness to electric vehicles.

4 out of 5 buyers prioritize cars with internal combustion engines

If you asked Europeans to pick a side in the great fuel debate, most would still mutter something about “the good old combustion engine.” According to our recent survey, 

petrol remains the fan favorite with 43.8% of the vote, followed closely by diesel at 38.9%

. Hybrids made a modest showing (10.4%), while electric vehicles… well, let’s just say they’re still stuck in the slow lane at 5.6%.

That’s right – nearly 83% of respondents prefer internal combustion over anything that plugs into a wall. And these stats span across all surveyed countries. But things get even more interesting when we dig deeper into the national psyche of EV adoption.

Some countries are more resistant to change than others – and 

Poland takes the top spot as the most EV-skeptical nation in the survey

. A mere 0.8% of Polish respondents said they’d choose an EV as their preferred fuel type.

In contrast, Finland seems to be charging ahead with enthusiasm. Over a quarter (26.3%) of Finnish drivers said they’d go electric, with Hungary (11%) and Ukraine (11.1%) showing moderate but notable support.

The link between preferred fuel types and EV purchasing plans is crystal clear. 

When asked if they would buy an EV right now, more than half (51.5%) of survey participants said they would not.

 Only 12.2% would seriously consider it, and 36.3% sat on the fence.

Polish drivers once again proved to be the least convinced – only 6.6% would consider buying an EV. The French (8.6%) and Italians (9.1%) aren’t exactly sprinting toward the electric future either. Meanwhile, Hungarians lead the pack with 26.6% open to going electric.

High prices, scarce charging stations, and a healthy dose of EV myths are enough to make many drivers cling to their combustion engines.

 While EU regulators are gearing up for a zero-emission – banning new petrol and diesel car sales starting in 2035 – many people simply aren’t ready to make the switch.

Cheaper maintenance and lower taxes are among the motivators to go electric

While some drivers are still clinging to petrol and diesel engines, others are starting to see the appeal of electric vehicles. And no, it’s not all about saving the planet.

Almost half of those open to EVs, 47.2% to be precise, say they are drawn to the lower running and maintenance costs. 

With fewer parts that can break or wear out, EVs tend to be cheaper to keep on the road.

Taxes are another reason drivers are reconsidering what’s under their hoods. For 17.6% of respondents, lower taxes make EVs more attractive. Across the EU, many governments are offering tax breaks or full exemptions to give EV adoption a boost. Germany and France provide significant relief on annual road taxes, while the Netherlands waives registration and circulation taxes completely for electric vehicles.

Then there’s the lure of government subsidies. 

A total of 14.1% of drivers said financial support would motivate them to choose electric.

 For instance, in France, buyers can get up to €7,000 off a new EV depending on their income, which certainly helps soften the blow of that initial purchase price.

Interestingly, only 14% of respondents said they would choose an EV for environmental reasons. With cities expanding their low-emission zones, electric cars are becoming a necessity for urban drivers who want to avoid fines and stay mobile. Saving the environment may not be the top priority, but staying on the road clearly is.

Subsidy cuts put the brakes on EV momentum

As the honeymoon period for electric vehicles winds down, the reality is kicking in: 

without generous government backing, EV sales are starting to sputter

Several EU nations have already pulled the plug on purchase subsidies. Sweden said goodbye to its incentives in 2022, while Germany followed suit in late 2023 – both moves leading to a noticeable slowdown in EV sales.

Across the Atlantic, things haven’t been much rosier. During Donald Trump’s presidency, EV-friendly policies took a backseat. Sales mandates were scrapped, federal tax credits trimmed or removed altogether, and funding for charging infrastructure hit the brakes. The result? 

A wave of uncertainty that made automakers flinch and slowed adoption even further

Government incentives are an expensive way to boost EV sales, but the real issue is sustainability. As soon as those incentives are cut, affordability takes a major hit. True demand will only take off when people start choosing EVs organically – not because they’re propped up by subsidies.

Until then, it seems the electric revolution might be stuck in low gear.

The auto industry is navigating some choppy roads

When we’ve asked our users why they’re steering clear of EVs, their answers were loud and clear: 

32% said they’re too expensive, 26.7% fear low range, 21.1% point to poor charging infrastructure, and 12% worry about low resale value

And while buyers hesitate, manufacturers are tightening their belts.

In 2025, major carmakers are announcing large-scale job cuts in response to tariffs, shifting production strategies, and aggressive cost-cutting. Stellantis has temporarily laid off 900 workers across 5 US plants, halting operations in Mexico and Canada. General Motors is undergoing multiple layoff rounds totaling over 3,000 employees, and Nissan is reportedly slashing 10,000 jobs globally while shutting down 7 plants.

Porsche, Volvo, and Volkswagen have all announced workforce reductions

, signaling a broad industry recalibration as manufacturers try to balance innovation with financial survival.

Adding even more pressure, Chinese EV brands are shaking up the status quo. BYD has taken the European market by storm, outselling Tesla in battery electric vehicle sales for the first time in April 2025 – notching a staggering 359% year-on-year growth, despite increased EU tariffs.

Whether or not European consumers will fully embrace Chinese EVs remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: their rapid rise is already sending shockwaves through the European automotive economy.

Meanwhile, Norway on track to go all-electric

While much of Europe still hesitates, Norway is racing ahead in electric vehicle adoption. Nearly 

 sold in 2024 were fully electric (up from 82.4% in 2023), and by the end of the year, over a quarter of all registered cars were battery-powered. This rapid shift is part of Norway’s ambitious goal – that all new cars sold by 2025 will be zero-emission, either electric or hydrogen-powered.

So what’s driving Norway’s success? A mix of long-term political commitment, strong financial incentives, and clear environmental goals. Since the early 1990s, the government has supported EVs with tax breaks, reduced tolls and ferry fees, and even bus-lane access. The country’s tax system follows the “polluter pays” principle, keeping high-emission cars costly while making clean alternatives more affordable.

By 2024, Norway had built more than 9,000 fast-charging points across the country, making long-distance EV travel easy. Drivers also benefit from practical policies like a legal “charging right” in apartment buildings, ensuring that even those without private garages can charge at home. Even as some tax exemptions have been gradually phased out, public enthusiasm for electric mobility remains stronger than ever.

The research insights are based on a survey shown on the carVertical report loading screen, conducted between April 15 and April 22, 2025, with around 3,000 respondents across 35 countries. As the survey targeted only carVertical users, the sample represents individuals actively interested in used cars, with the largest response rates from Poland, France, and Romania.

Research

Junkyard reports #1: the story of one Volkswagen Caravelle and its 640,000 km rollback

Uncertain times for electric vehicle makers: why aren’t buyers plugging in?