Quick answer
Important
1. Dealer or private: the decision that matters most
German law treats these two situations completely differently, and the price difference between them is largely the price of your legal protection.
Buy from a dealer and you get a statutory warranty of liability for defects, Gewährleistung, for at least a year. This is not a goodwill guarantee: it is a legal obligation covering defects that already existed at handover, and a dealer cannot exclude it when selling to a consumer.
Buy privately and the seller will almost certainly exclude it in the contract, which they are entitled to do. The standard private contract includes the phrase "gekauft wie gesehen" or an explicit exclusion, and the practical consequence is that the car is yours with whatever is wrong with it.
| Dealer | Private seller | |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory liability for defects | At least one year, cannot be excluded | Normally excluded in the contract |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Recourse for a hidden fault | Repair, replacement, price reduction or rescission | Practically none, unless deceit is provable |
| Deliberate concealment | Actionable | Actionable, but you have to prove it |
| Trade-in and financing | Usually available | No |
| Registration help | Often handled for you | You do it yourself |
An exclusion of liability never covers deliberate concealment of a known fault. But proving the seller knew is the difficult part.
The German words you will see
- Gewährleistung
- Statutory liability for defects that existed at handover. A legal right, and a dealer cannot exclude it when selling to a consumer.
- Garantie
- A voluntary guarantee, from a dealer or manufacturer. An extra promise on top of Gewährleistung, with its own conditions.
- Gekauft wie gesehen
- "Bought as seen." A private-sale exclusion of liability for defects. It does not cover deliberately concealed faults.
Beware the fake private sale
2. The documents, and what each one tells you
German vehicles come with two registration documents plus an inspection certificate. Learning what each proves is the fastest way to avoid the worst outcomes, including buying a car the seller does not own.
Checking the Fahrzeugbrief properly
Compare the name on the Fahrzeugbrief with the seller’s identity document. If they differ, ask why, and expect a written authorisation. A car under finance is frequently a case where the document is held by a bank rather than the seller.
Check the VIN on the document against the VIN stamped on the car itself. They must match. A mismatch is a reason to walk away immediately rather than to negotiate.
The document also shows the number of previous keepers, which is a useful cross-check against what the advert claimed.
| Document | Also called | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I | Fahrzeugschein | Registration details; kept in the car |
| Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II | Fahrzeugbrief | Who is registered as keeper; kept at home, and the key ownership document |
| HU-Bericht / TÜV certificate | TÜV report | The last roadworthiness inspection and what was found |
| Scheckheft | Service book | Servicing history, where it has been maintained |
The Fahrzeugbrief is the document that matters. A seller who cannot produce it may not be entitled to sell the car.
3. Checking the car
Two things matter more than anything you can see yourself: an independent inspection, and honest answers about accident history.
The automobile clubs and the technical inspection organisations both offer paid used-car checks. It costs a small fraction of the purchase price and regularly finds either a reason not to buy or a reason to pay less. Sellers who resist an independent inspection are telling you something.
- Ask directly, in writing, whether the car has accident damage (Unfallschaden), and get the answer in the contract
- Check panel gaps, paint thickness variation and mismatched shades, which suggest repairs
- Check the HU certificate for the date the next inspection falls due
- Check the service book for regular intervals and matching mileage entries
- Check the tyre and brake condition, and the DOT date on the tyres
- Look for rust at the sills, wheel arches and around the tailgate
- Check the official recall database for the model
- Test drive properly: cold start, motorway speed, full braking, all electronics
Official source
The Federal Motor Transport Authority publishes recalls. Worth checking for any model you are considering.
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)
Get the accident answer in writing
4. The purchase contract
Use a written contract even for a private sale, and preferably a standard template from an automobile club or a consumer organisation rather than one the seller produced. These templates exist precisely because they capture the assurances that protect a buyer.
- Full names and addresses of both parties, and identity document numbers
- Vehicle details: make, model, first registration, VIN, current mileage
- The price, and how and when it is paid
- An express statement about accident damage
- Confirmation of the number of previous keepers
- A list of what is handed over: both registration documents, all keys, service book, HU report
- Any agreed defects, listed explicitly
- Date, place, and both signatures
Important
5. Insurance and registration
You cannot register a car in Germany without insurance first, and this is the step that catches new arrivals. The mechanism is an eVB number: an electronic confirmation of cover that an insurer issues to you, and which the registration office uses to verify insurance exists.
Get the eVB before you go to the Zulassungsstelle. It is issued quickly, often within minutes online, and it commits you to nothing until the car is registered.
The German words you will see
- eVB-Nummer
- Electronic confirmation of insurance cover. You need it before you can register a vehicle.
- Zulassungsstelle
- The vehicle registration office. It registers, re-registers and deregisters vehicles.
- HU (Hauptuntersuchung)
- The main roadworthiness inspection, commonly called the TÜV after one of the organisations that performs it.
- Scheckheftgepflegt
- Maintained according to the service book, with the stamps to show it. A genuine selling point when the entries are consistent.
Get an eVB number from an insurer
Free and quick. Compare cover first: the difference between the cheapest and a reasonable policy is often small, and the excess terms matter more than the headline premium.
Get a SEPA mandate ready for vehicle tax
Vehicle tax is collected by direct debit and the mandate is required at registration. There is no option to pay by transfer.
Go to the Zulassungsstelle
Take both registration documents, the HU certificate, your ID, your registration certificate, the eVB number and the SEPA mandate. Many offices require an appointment.
Get plates made and stamped
Plates are made at a shop next to the office, then sealed at the office. Budget for this small extra cost.
Check the tax assessment when it arrives
Vehicle tax is assessed on engine size, fuel type and CO₂ emissions. The official calculator lets you check it in advance.
6. If something is wrong afterwards
Your position depends almost entirely on whether you bought from a dealer or privately.
From a dealer, statutory liability covers defects that existed at handover. The remedy sequence starts with repair or replacement, and only if that fails do you get to a price reduction or unwinding the sale. Report the defect in writing, promptly, and give a deadline for repair.
From a private seller who excluded liability, you generally have no claim for an undisclosed defect. The exceptions are worth knowing: deliberate concealment of a known fault, and a false express assurance such as an untrue statement that the car is accident-free. Both require evidence.
- Report the defect in writing immediately, keeping proof of when you sent it
- From a dealer: demand repair first, with a reasonable deadline in writing
- Get an independent expert report if the fault is significant, as it becomes your evidence
- Do not have the car repaired elsewhere before giving the dealer the chance to fix it
- Check whether you have legal expenses insurance, which often covers vehicle disputes
- Consumer advice centres give paid advice on car disputes and are independent of the trade
Useful resource
Publicly funded consumer advice, independent of the motor trade. They advise on used-car disputes.
Verbraucherzentrale · not a government authority
7. Frequently asked questions
A dealer costs more and gives you at least a year of statutory liability for defects that existed at handover, which cannot be excluded. A private seller costs less and will almost certainly exclude liability, so you take the car as it stands. The price difference is largely the price of that protection.
The Fahrzeugschein (Part I) holds the registration details and stays in the car. The Fahrzeugbrief (Part II) shows who is registered as keeper and is kept at home. The Fahrzeugbrief is the important one: a seller who cannot produce it may not be entitled to sell.
"Bought as seen": a private-sale exclusion of liability for defects. It is generally effective, but it never covers deliberate concealment of a known fault or a false express assurance such as an untrue claim that the car is accident-free.
An electronic confirmation that you have insurance. You need it before you can register a vehicle, and the registration office will turn you away without it. Insurers issue it quickly, often within minutes online.
TÜV is one of the organisations performing the statutory roadworthiness inspection, the Hauptuntersuchung. Buying a car with the HU nearly expired means paying for the next one soon, and any work needed to pass it, so check the due date before agreeing a price.
Yes. Automobile clubs and inspection organisations offer used-car checks for a small fraction of the purchase price, and they regularly find either a reason not to buy or grounds to pay less. A seller who resists one is telling you something.
Never hand over money before receiving the Fahrzeugbrief. For a large cash amount, meet at a bank and pay inside the branch: it protects both sides and removes the counterfeit risk.
Usually not, if liability was excluded, which it almost always is in a private sale. You would need to show the seller knew of the fault and concealed it, or gave a false express assurance. Both need evidence, so get an expert report before deciding whether to pursue it.
Official information
Rules and amounts change. Always verify current requirements using official sources.
Owning a vehicle — official services, opens in a new tab
Bundesportal
Registration, re-registration, deregistration and the paperwork each step needs.
Vehicle recall database, opens in a new tab
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)
Check whether a model you are considering is subject to an official recall.
Main inspection (Hauptuntersuchung), opens in a new tab
TÜV / Technical inspection organisations · a private company, not a public authority
What the roadworthiness inspection covers and how often it is due. Several approved organisations perform it, not only TÜV.
Motor vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer), opens in a new tab
German Customs (Zoll)
Customs administers vehicle tax. How it is calculated, when it is due, and the mandatory direct debit.
Consumer advice centres, opens in a new tab
Verbraucherzentrale · not a government authority
Publicly funded consumer advice on contracts, energy, telecoms and debt. Independent of the providers it advises on.
Related guides
Amounts and legal requirements can change. We verify this information against official sources and show when each figure was last checked, but always confirm important requirements with the responsible authority before you apply.
Einfach Germany is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with the German government.