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Buyer guide

The used car buying checklist

From the first scroll to the handshake. Written for the buyer.

Most used-car mistakes are not surprise mechanical failures — they are questions that were never asked. This checklist walks through each stage of a Dutch second-hand purchase and points out what to verify, what to ask, and what to write down.

Editorial guideVintor team

Before you reply to the advert

Five minutes of desk work filters out half the listings that would waste a weekend.

  • Run the number plate through a free check. Pull the APK record, mileage timeline, ownership count, and any open recall into one view.
  • Compare the photos with the official passport — fuel type, body style, and year should line up exactly. If they do not, that is your first question.
  • Look at the price against the market for the same make, model, year, and mileage band. An outlier at the bottom of the range is not a bargain by default — it is a prompt.
  • Save the listing. Prices move, photos disappear, and having the original advert in writing matters if the conversation goes sideways later.

At the viewing

Daylight, cold engine, eyes open. Treat this as information-gathering, not a purchase decision.

  • Start the car from cold. A warm engine hides a lot — hesitant starting, smoke on first fire, noisy lifters that settle after a minute.
  • Walk around the whole car before touching the doors. Check panel gaps, paint match between panels, and tyre brand consistency across an axle.
  • Open the bonnet. Look for obvious signs of a past accident: fresh welds, mismatched bolts, inner wing repairs, replacement slam panels.
  • Check the service book and any invoices against the mileage timeline you already pulled. Dates and numbers should tell the same story.
  • Note anything you want to ask about. Do not negotiate yet.

On the test drive

Pick a route you know, with a mix of speeds and surfaces.

  • First thirty seconds: dashboard lights out, handbrake off, no warning tones. Anything that stays on is a conversation.
  • Brake firmly from speed on a safe, empty road. The car should stop straight — no pull, no judder, no noise.
  • Find a rough surface. Listen for knocks from the suspension and feel for play in the steering.
  • Try the cruise control, air conditioning, rear demister, electric windows, and any driver-assistance features. Faults in electronics are expensive to chase later.
  • Stop somewhere quiet and switch the engine off. Then restart while warm. A warm restart that hesitates is a common early fuel-system tell.

Before you sign

Paperwork is where the protection lives.

  • Confirm the seller is the registered keeper, or has written authority to sell on their behalf. Check a photo ID against the registration card.
  • For a dealer sale, ask about the BOVAG or similar guarantee and read the conditions. Fourteen days is not the same as six months.
  • For a private sale, agree any defects in writing. "Sold as seen" in the Netherlands is not a blanket escape hatch, but vague paperwork helps the seller, not you.
  • Get a proper purchase receipt with plate, chassis number, mileage at handover, agreed price, and both signatures.
  • Transfer the registration at a post office or via the RDW before you drive away. Driving a car that is still on the previous keeper is a problem you do not want.

What this guide is not

This guide is written for ordinary second-hand purchases from Dutch private sellers and dealers. It does not replace a professional pre-purchase inspection, a lawyer for complex disputes, or the BOVAG complaints procedure if things go wrong after the sale. If a deal feels wrong, walk away. There is always another car.

Common questions

Should I pay for a pre-purchase inspection?
For cars above a few thousand euros, or for any car where the test drive leaves you unsure, yes. An independent inspection typically costs between one and two hundred euros and can save far more. The ANWB offers inspections, as do many independent garages.
What paperwork do I need at handover?
The registration card (kentekencard) plus its separate code card, a signed purchase receipt with plate, chassis number, mileage, and price, and proof of the APK status. For a dealer sale, add the written warranty terms.
Is "koop op afstand" available for private sales?
No. The fourteen-day remote-purchase right under Dutch law applies to business-to-consumer sales. Private-to-private second-hand sales are final once the money and car change hands, unless you have agreed otherwise in writing.
What if the car fails its first APK after I buy it?
Start with the invoice and the test you ran before the sale. For a private sale, you generally carry the risk unless defects were actively hidden. For a dealer, the purchase agreement and warranty terms apply. Document everything and, if needed, contact your legal aid provider or a consumer-protection body.

Run the free plate check first

Most of this checklist is easier when the official record is open in another tab.

Check a plate now

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