Buying a used car continues to be, for many Portuguese people, the most affordable way to buy a recent or higher-end model. But this choice brings with it an increased risk, especially when the vehicle comes from abroad. The topic is known, but rarely discussed in depth: imports facilitate access to the market, but also open space for information failures and fraud that are difficult to detect at first glance.
According to Notícias ao Minuto, the weight of imports in the national market is significant and helps to explain the scale of the problem. In many cases, vehicles arrive in Portugal with a history that does not accompany the car, being retained in the systems of the country of origin. Mileage, accident records or structural interventions may simply not appear in the data available to those who purchase.
History that gets along the way
According to carVertical, a platform specializing in automobile data and histories, the majority of used cars analyzed in Portugal originated in other European countries. Between September 2024 and August 2025, 3.6 percent of the imported vehicles assessed showed signs of tampering with mileage, a figure slightly lower than the 4.1 percent recorded in domestic used cars. Reading these numbers in isolation can be misleading.
The central problem is not just the percentage, but the information that does not accompany the vehicle. When a car changes country, part of its history may not be included in national registrations.
Therefore, whoever sells the vehicle may not even be aware of previous manipulations or relevant damage resulting from accidents. In cases where the car has always been registered in the same country, there tends to be a more complete documentary trail, accessible to authorities and, in some contexts, to consumers.
Legal differences between European Union member states worsen this reality. According to the same source, the lack of systematic sharing of historical data between countries makes control difficult and increases the risk for the end buyer. The vehicle identification number, known as VIN, illustrates this disparity well: in some countries it is treated as personal data, limiting its use in checking history records.
In Portugal, 61.5 percent of used cars verified by the platform had been imported. Specialist Matas Buzelis warns that many vehicles arrive after accidents or with manipulated mileage, remembering that geographical origin is not a guarantee of quality.
A car from Germany or France can hide problems as serious as any other. Each vehicle has its own route and this route is not always transparent.
Distrust installed in the market
Buyers’ perception follows this reality. A European study carried out by the same entity, with more than 10 thousand respondents, reveals that almost half of buyers do not trust used car sellers. Fears focus mainly on hidden problems, a concern shared by 75 percent of participants. More than a third admit to having been deceived on a previous purchase.
Most consider it essential to have access to a car’s full history before purchasing. More than 80 percent support this right, while 61.5 percent support the sharing of non-confidential data between countries. More than 70 percent disagree that VIN should be treated as sensitive information, a position that reflects the search for greater transparency in a market marked by information asymmetry, according to .
In a context in which imported used cars continue to dominate the national market, taking care to check the history of each car becomes a decisive step. It doesn’t eliminate all risk, but it can make the difference between a good deal and a costly surprise.
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