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Used car check before purchase

Testing centre or expert · Private commission

VoluntaryWithout legal effectOn site

This page begins with a distinction, because it determines expectations: the used car check is not a sovereign procedure. It appears in no ordinance, has no deadline, no form and no legal effect. It is a private commission to a testing centre or an expert — unlike the periodic roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung, HU — commonly called TÜV), which is based on § 29 StVZO and results in an inspection sticker.

This leads to the second point, which often disappoints: a valid HU sticker is not proof of condition. Under the wording of § 29 StVZO, it certifies compliance with the regulations at the time of the inspection — and it examines different matters anyway from what a buyer wants to know. Wear on the clutch and gearbox, incipient oil loss, signs of accident damage, a backlog of maintenance or a rolled-back odometer are not part of the inspection scope under Annex VIIIa.

What the check actually delivers is threefold: a record of condition beyond the HU catalogue, an estimate of foreseeable costs and — often the most valuable — a documented finding at the time of purchase. Particularly in a private sale, where the legal guarantee is usually validly excluded, this is the only snapshot that can later serve as evidence.

A sentence up front, because it sets the roles straight: TÜV and DEKRA are not authorities. Annex VIII StVZO transfers the Hauptuntersuchung to two private, state-recognised figures — the officially recognised experts or examiners for motor vehicle traffic (aaSoP) of the technical testing centres and the test engineers (PI) of the officially recognised supervisory organisations. They certify, they do not impose sanctions. Who may prohibit the operation of a vehicle is set out in § 29 StVZO and is a different body: “the authority competent under state law”. The Bußgeldstelle, in turn, imposes the regulatory fine. Three roles, three addressees.

Last updated29 August 2026
Legal basisNot an official procedure
VerificationChecked against StVZO, FZV, FeV and BetrSichV
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not TÜV, DEKRA or any other testing organisation, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Legal naturePrivate commissionNo procedure
Replaces the HUNoAnd not the other way round either
Scope of inspectionFreely negotiatedNot Annex VIIIa
PriceBy arrangementNo tariff
Required documents

What you need

Seller's vehicle documents

Registration certificate Part I and Part II (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I / Teil II, ZB I / ZB II). Part II shows the number of previous keepers — a detail that sales listings often omit.

Service booklet and invoices

They provide evidence of the service history. Gaps are not a defect in the legal sense, but they are a bargaining point and an indication of where to look more closely.

The most recent test report

It shows the minor deficiencies most recently identified — in other words, exactly the points that will come up again at the next appointment.

Evidence of accident repairs

A repaired accident is not a reason to walk away; a concealed one is. Ask about this explicitly and have the answer written into the purchase agreement.

Time for a test drive before the appointment

Anything noticeable from the drive gives the examiner the right starting points. A check without this information stays superficial.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Agree the scope in advance

    Because there is no prescribed catalogue, the agreement decides. Clarify whether a lifting platform, diagnostic equipment, paint-depth measurement and a test drive are included.

  2. 2

    Schedule the appointment before signing

    After the purchase, the check is a cost estimate; before it, it is a bargaining point. Sellers who refuse the appointment are thereby providing information of their own.

  3. 3

    Take the seller's documents along

    Papers, service book, invoices, the most recent inspection report. Comparing the documents against the vehicle's condition is often more revealing than the technical check alone.

  4. 4

    Insist on a written finding

    A verbal assessment helps with negotiating but proves nothing afterwards. The documented finding is what you actually get for the commission.

  5. 5

    Put assurances in the purchase agreement

    No accident history, mileage, number of previous owners: whatever is assured verbally should be put in writing. An expert report does not replace a contractual assurance.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What it is and what it is notVoluntary service without sovereign effect
Legal basisNone
Relationship to the HUDoes not replace it
Scope of inspectionA matter of agreement
ResultA finding, not a sticker
In a private saleOften the only evidence
PriceBy arrangement

A check does not give rise to claims against the seller. Its value lies in serving as a basis for negotiation before the purchase and as a documented snapshot afterwards.

Good to know

Important notes

The HU sticker is not a seal of quality. It certifies compliance with the regulations at the time of the inspection and examines a catalogue that largely leaves out wear, a backlog of maintenance and signs of accident damage. A vehicle that has just passed inspection can have expensive deficiencies without the inspection itself having been faulty.

In a private sale, the legal guarantee is usually validly excluded. What remains are contractual assurances and defects fraudulently concealed — both are questions of evidence. This is exactly what the documented finding is for.

The scope of inspection is unregulated, which is both an opportunity and a risk. Without a clear agreement, you may get a visual inspection where you expected an examination on a lifting platform. Ask specific questions, not for the “big check”.

An expert report does not replace an assurance. Anyone who wants an assurance that the car is accident-free or about its mileage should have it written into the purchase agreement — the finding describes a condition; it promises nothing.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Treating the HU sticker as proof of condition. It relates to the time of the inspection and a narrow catalogue.

Having the check done after the purchase. Before the purchase it is a bargaining point, afterwards it is a bill.

Not agreeing the scope. There is no prescribed catalogue.

Taking away only verbal results. The written finding is the actual value delivered.

Not recording assurances in writing. An expert report does not give rise to claims against the seller.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Does the used car check replace the Hauptuntersuchung?

No, and not the other way round either. The Hauptuntersuchung is a sovereign procedure regulated under § 29 StVZO, with a fixed inspection scope and a sticker as its outcome. The check is a private commission with no prescribed catalogue, whose outcome is a finding.

Is a car with a fresh sticker in good condition?

Not necessarily. Under the wording of § 29 StVZO, the sticker certifies compliance with the regulations at the time of the inspection. Wear on the clutch and gearbox, the onset of oil loss, a backlog of maintenance or signs of accident damage are not part of the inspection scope under Annex VIIIa — a vehicle that has just passed inspection can have expensive deficiencies.

What legal effect does the check have?

No direct claims: it is not a sovereign act and does not create a legal guarantee. Its value lies elsewhere — as a basis for negotiation before the purchase and as a documented snapshot of condition that, particularly in a private sale with the legal guarantee excluded, can still serve as evidence later.

What should the scope include?

This is a matter of agreement, because no catalogue is prescribed. Sensible elements include an examination on a lifting platform, reading out the fault memory, a paint-depth measurement to detect repairs, and a test drive. Ask about these points individually, rather than booking a blanket “big check”.

Who should pay for the check?

In practice, the prospective buyer, because they commission it and gain the benefit. Sellers who refuse an appointment at a neutral body are thereby providing information of their own — that, too, is a result.

What does it cost?

There is no tariff for this, because it is not an administrative service. The price depends on the agreed scope and differs considerably between providers. Therefore compare what is included, not only the amounts.

Related official procedures

Vehicle valuation
Value for sale, damage or devolution of an inheritance
Private commission
Periodic roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung)
First after 36 months, then every 24
No official tariff
Classic car certificate (Oldtimer-Gutachten)
Requirement for the H licence plate
§ 23 StVZO

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