German Imports Dominate Cases of Tampered Mileage on Slovak Used Cars

A significant issue plaguing the Slovak automotive market has been brought to light: the prevalence of used cars with illegally rolled-back odometers, a problem disproportionately linked to vehicles imported from Germany. Data from the Vehicle Registration Record (RPZV), which has been sharing information with Germany via the Eucaris platform since November 2025, indicates that a staggering three-quarters of odometer manipulation cases involve cars originating from Germany.

“

For 3.5 months, we checked 12,362 vehicles via the platform, of which 3,624, almost a third, showed damage. We detected odometer manipulation in 405 vehicles, of which 302 vehicles came from Germany.

This revelation comes as a stark warning to Slovak consumers. Of the used cars imported into Slovakia in 2025, approximately 37 percent came from Germany. Analysis of the initial months of enhanced data exchange revealed that nearly a third of all vehicles checked showed discrepancies, with 405 cases of odometer tampering identified, a significant portion of which were German imports. Monika Brečková, marketing manager at RPZV, noted that the average age of these manipulated vehicles is 7.6 years, with an average reduction of nearly 65,000 kilometers per vehicle.

“

The average age of vehicles with adjusted odometer readings was 7.6 years, and the average value of rolled-back kilometers was almost 65,000 km. Overall, it was a difference of 25 million km. The record holder is a vehicle with 331,000 rolled-back kilometers.

The financial implications for Slovak motorists are substantial. Tampering with odometers inflates the price of a vehicle by an average of 20 percent. Considering the average used car price of 12,500 euros, buyers can be overcharged by around 2,500 euros. Cumulatively, these fraudulent practices are estimated to cost Slovak drivers over 220 million euros annually in inflated purchase prices and unexpected repair costs. Karolína Topolová of AAA Auto highlights that these cars are also more worn than indicated, posing potential safety risks on the road. This cross-border crime not only defrauds individuals but also impacts the national economy, particularly as imported used cars tend to be older than domestic ones.

“

Deceived motorists thus spend millions of euros annually on unexpected repairs and more expensive maintenance.