Mileage warranty

Croatian Auto Club warns used cars buyers on an all-too-common practice of altering the mileage in order to sell the used vehicle for a higher price. Some studies show that a large share of buyers (up to 30%) who buy cars via various advertisements fall prey to such an altered, reduced, mileage. The Croatian law system does not envisage an adequate punishment for such a misdeed, and customers who have been deceived have no other choice but to try to get justice by filing a private lawsuit, a long process, full of uncertainty.

Our company, TRCZ automobili, allows you to verify the vehicle history data when purchasing it or when selling it, which can help you avoid some of the common risks when buying a car. In practice, this means that anyone who wants to buy or sell a used car can demand from the dealer, in this case TRCZ automobili, to show them vehicle history. By doing so, both parties can be certain that the mileage is correct, that the year of manufacturing is correct, that the vehicle is not placed under a lien or is not leased from a leasing company, and that it is not stolen.

Vehicles without clear information on their technical conditions and mileage could represent a danger. Such vehicles have not been maintained properly or regularly, so the risk of mechanical malfunctions is increased.

Mileage and the year of manufacturing have the most influence on the selling value of a vehicle. Altering the mileage and the year of manufacturing are among the most common types of cheating used by car salesmen. Some studies show that more than 60000 vehicles with altered mileage are sold in Croatia every year. The new, reduced, mileage can increase the selling value of the vehicle for up to 20-30%, which means that crooked car salesmen make a lot of money off this practice. This means that when you are buying a used car, you are not only searching for the lowest price, but also for the correct vehicle data. There are a lot of cars on the market with not very clear data and with no maintenance records. They are most often sold via newspaper advertisements, because the risk for sellers is minimal, and for you the risk is considerable. Rather buy a car at a place where you can verify vehicle history, including the actual mileage.

The mileage can be verified using track records by CVH (Vehicle Center of Croatia) information system. When the annual maintenance takes place, what is tracked is the mileage on the odometer, and not possible mileage alterations. This is why the certificate that the CVH can issue on demand, and which costs 25 kuna, can be used only as an indicator. By analyzing the records on the certificate and the actual state on the vehicle instruments, we can conclude whether the mileage from the previous years makes sense or not. Just by comparing them, you can see if any illegal alterations on the odometer have been made. If the records show mileage growing continually, and then sharply falling, it is highly probably that an alteration has taken place. Expert believe that the mileage on some vehicles has been altered on several occasions, and even by hundred of thousands of kilometers.