Even after corona, used car imports remain strong
Although sales of used cars have stabilized after the special corona years, the significant import of used cars in the Netherlands remains at virtually the same level. The chance that you will encounter a foreign car is therefore high. What’s up with that?
Corona, empty parts warehouses, chip shortages and lengthy delivery times: during the period when new cars were delivered with extreme difficulty and waiting times were high, sales of used cars reached record highs. Never before have so many second-hand cars changed hands as in 2021 and 2022, namely more than two million annually.
Used young
Due to the long delivery times for new cars and the increasing demand for used cars, car companies saw their stocks quickly evaporate during this period. To prevent the showrooms from becoming empty, many dealers looked to see what could be obtained across national borders, especially in Germany and Belgium. However, that is not the only cause of the growing number of imported cars, says Stijn Oosterhoff, spokesperson for Bovag. “Consumers are asking for used cars that are less available in the Netherlands, such as young used cars with a low mileage.” The vast majority of imported cars have a year of manufacture of 2021 or 2022.
Also exports
In 2017, 10.6 percent of used cars were imported (according to the report ‘Mobility in figures 2023’ by the RAI Association and the Bovag). In corona year 2021, that percentage – with 294,036 registrations – had increased to 14.6 percent. That share has hardly declined since then, says Autotelex. No used car surplus then? “No, because a lot of used cars are also exported from the Netherlands to abroad,” Oosterhoff explains.
Looking for car history
Does an imported used car have a damage history? You can use the chassis number to investigate the history of a car, for example at Carfax (€20). This also provides information about the (correct) mileage. If you buy a used car from a dealer with a full Bovag warranty, you can generally trust that it is a technically good car with a known history and a correct mileage.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl