Most imported cars are after a collision. How to avoid buying a car after an accident

Buying a car whose history is unknown can turn out to be quite a traumatic experience. It can quickly turn out that the attractive price we set aside for the purchase of the car can increase by several, a dozen or even several dozen thousand złoty, because the vehicle requires immediate and serious repair. For years, all opinion surveys on customers who bought a second-hand car, without exception, have clearly indicated two main problems: concealment by sellers of the true history and technical condition - it is worth adding here that almost 10 percent of defects that appear after purchase are classified as serious. A report published at the end of January this year by "Rzeczpospolita" proves that the situation on the market will not improve in the near future, which means that the risk of buying a car after an accident will increase. The report indicates that out of almost 880 thousand imported cars, about half a million came to Poland from Germany, of which as many as 86.6 percent were involved in a collision or accident. The situation of vehicles from the USA is the worst - here this percentage is over 93 percent. The thesis that more and more faulty cars will appear on the market is confirmed by IBRM Samar. According to experts from this organization, in 2025 the number of imported cars will increase by about 4 percent, or to about 1 million vehicles.

- The popular saying "cheap is expensive" is unfortunately still an adequate description of the Polish used car market from an uncertain source. Fortunately, this is no longer a picture of the entire market. Leasing or long-term rental companies selling post-contract used cars present the full and true history of the car , along with all service visits and possible repairs, including bodywork and paintwork. Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, buying a used car after leasing or after long-term rental is a safe solution, guaranteeing the buyer that the actual condition of the vehicle has not been concealed - says Mikołaj Bąk, expert of the Polish Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (PZWLP).

After a long-term rental, the car will be regularly serviced (at ASO or other reputable networks), i.e. in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. What's more, all repairs are meticulously recorded, and before the sale, the buyer gains full insight into the history of such a car. - It should be remembered that throughout the long-term rental period, the owner of the vehicle is the leasing/renting company, not its user. This is why throughout the contract, cars are regularly checked and serviced, the rental or leasing company wants the car to be in the best possible condition, because at the end of the contract it will have to sell it on the secondary market. Otherwise, the company's reputation would suffer, and the value of the car would simply be lower - says Wojciech Jania, an expert at PZWLP.

93% of cars imported from the US to Poland have been involved in a collision or accident

A good price, a full and reliable history and regular servicing are not the only advantages of buying a used car after a lease or long-term rental. - A large part of such cars has rich equipment, because more and more often these are vehicles chosen for private use, and not only for business use. We are talking not only about air conditioning, automatic gearboxes or aluminum rims, but also safety-improving driver assistance systems or multimedia systems. Additionally, cars after a lease or long-term rental are relatively young vehicles, usually 3-4 years old , which means that they are modern and usually do not differ technologically even from currently offered brand new vehicles on the market - adds Tomasz Bartnik, expert of PZWLP. The safety of buying a car after a lease or long-term rental also results from the fact that it is used in standard conditions, most often as a company car. In some cases, cars after a lease may still be covered by the manufacturer's warranty, which gives an additional sense of security in the event of mechanical problems.