About 2.5 Percent of Imported Cars Have Tampered Mileage, Averaging 75,300 Kilometers

Approximately 2.5 percent of used imported cars in Croatia have tampered mileage, averaging 75,300 kilometers, and 55 percent of all vehicles inspected on the carVertical platform have been involved in traffic accidents, with an average damage value of 3,207 euros, according to a study by carVertical.

In this market transparency study, Croatia ranked 15th this year, as it did last year, among 25 analyzed countries.

– Every year, thousands of buyers purchase vehicles with hidden defects and tampered mileage, often unaware that they are overpaying for a car in poor condition – states the analysis by carVertical.

Slovenia ranked 10th in the same study, while Hungary ranked 17th.

The carVertical study conducted between October 2023 and September 2024 showed that in Croatia, 2.5 percent of cars have tampered mileage, with an average correction of 75,300 kilometers. Since the price of a car directly depends on its mileage, drivers purchasing such vehicles significantly overpay their value.

Although the rate of odometer tampering in Croatia has decreased from 3.5 percent in 2023, the same position on the ranking could be attributed to a higher average tampered mileage.

Last year, the average tampered mileage for cars in Croatia was 70,439 kilometers.

The statistics for damaged cars are also significant: more than half (55 percent) of all vehicles inspected on the carVertical platform in Croatia have been involved in traffic accidents, with an average damage value of 3,207 euros.

Drivers purchasing imported vehicles face the highest risk of buying cars with tampered mileage or past damages.

The average age of purchased vehicles in Croatia is 8.1 years, indicating that cars in Croatia are generally younger compared to those in other Eastern European countries.

UK Most Transparent

As in previous years, the United Kingdom was the most transparent used car market among all countries participating in the study. Only 2.1 percent of cars had tampered mileage, and 17.8 percent of vehicles were damaged. The top five most transparent countries also include Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden.

The least transparent countries included in the study were Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Estonia. These markets were also the lowest ranked last year. A high proportion of cars with tampered mileage and damages, an outdated vehicle fleet, and high import rates contribute to these markets being considered extremely non-transparent and risky.

The highest number of mileage frauds among European countries was recorded in Latvia (11.1 percent) and Ukraine (9.6 percent). The highest proportion of damaged cars was found in Poland (62.1 percent) and Slovakia (60.5 percent).