The used car market has long been known for its lack of transparency – and Belgium is no exception. Estimates suggest that every second car in the country has sustained damage in the past – sometimes leaving vehicles unsafe to drive and increasing the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Used car buyers across Europe can’t access vehicle history information due to inconsistent and fragmented data sharing between countries. This an old problem, costing EU economies millions of euros every year and creating distrust in the second-hand car market. Even using a conservative scenario, the odometer fraud alone costs European countries approximately €5.3 billion per year.
Every second used car in Belgium has been damaged in the past
More than half of all used cars in Belgium come with a hidden past: carVertical’s data shows that 54% vehicles checked by the company's customers in the first seven months of this year had recorded damage. Almost 54% of used cars checked in Belgium were imported — yet because countries don’t share vehicle data, many buyers ended up driving away with cars whose history they couldn’t know.
“A car is often damaged in one country, cheaply repaired, and then sold in another. Many vehicles involved in major accidents are imported to Europe from the US or travel from one European country to another. Even within the country, vehicles tend to be involved in accidents every 5-10 years. The fact that damage records are not available to buyers does not help them in the process of purchasing used cars,” explains Rokas Medonis, CEO of carVertical.
A car is often damaged in one country, cheaply repaired, and then sold in another.
Medonis notes that some cars could have suffered significant damage, which can have a serious impact on their wrecking points during the collision. According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), approximately 1.29 million people are injured annually on the roads in the EU, and around 141,000 of these injuries are serious. However, according to ETSC, this figure likely underestimates the true extent of the problem due to inconsistencies in data collection and sometimes massive underreporting in the police statistics.
Back in 2018, the EU raised the bar on road safety: cutting road deaths and serious injuries by half by 2030, with an even bolder vision of reaching zero fatalities by 2050 (‘Vision Zero’). This ambition was enshrined in the Commission’s Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety and the 2021–2030 policy framework.
The domestic-first approach doesn’t mean that drivers are safe
While every driver should have the right to know about the used car they are going to buy, the reality across the EU is somewhat different. The GDPR defines personal data very broadly, making it challenging for businesses working with vehicle data to share information, even when privacy risks are low.
Belgium and the Netherlands have sophisticated domestic car data tracking systems, such as "Car-Pass", "Nationale Auto Pas", or RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority), which have drastically reduced odometer fraud internally. However, these systems also restrict comprehensive data sharing for exported cars, leaving buyers from other EU Member States vulnerable. Germany, the largest used car exporter in the EU, and Italy act similarly.
Due to inconsistent data sharing between countries, some important facts about these cars' damages may remain unknown.
“Today, essential vehicle history information such as mileage, accidents, ownership records, VIN number, remains trapped in national as well as private entities, creating perfect conditions for cross-border fraud. Clearer rules and better data sharing would protect buyers, support honest businesses, and strengthen Europe’s digital economy. The question: is it more important to protect data that does not reveal personal information but helps buyers understand a car’s actual condition or protect sellers who want to hide important facts?” asks Rokas Medonis.
About carVertical
carVertical is a vehicle history reporting company operating in 35 countries – across most of Europe, the US, Mexico, and Australia. Sourcing data from 900+ global registries and databases, carVertical provides comprehensive reports that help customers make informed decisions when buying used vehicles. The company has recorded a revenue record of €53.9 million in 2024. Beyond reporting, the company is driven by a mission to elevate the used vehicle market's standards and culture. In 2023, carVertical’s information security management system received the ISO/IEC 27001:2017 certification – the best-known standard for information security systems in the world.
Sign up to The Parliament's weekly newsletter
Every Friday our editorial team goes behind the headlines to offer insight and analysis on the key stories driving the EU agenda. Subscribe for free here.