Is a car really new or has it been in the dump for months before being sold? We will show you where you can find information about the production date and how to determine the age of your vehicle.
If the manufacturing date of an instrument cluster (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, etc.) in a used car is significantly younger than that of the other components of the vehicle, this component has already been replaced, which could be an indication of speedometer manipulation. Then you should check the mileage of entries in the service booklet as well as TÜV tests etc. for plausibility. Significant discrepancies between production dates can generally indicate accident damage for which newer replacement parts were used for repairs. This is important when buying a used car if the vehicle has been declared accident-free. If several parts have manufacturing dates that are close to each other, the construction period can be narrowed down relatively narrowly.
Vehicle identification number or chassis number
The vehicle identification number FIN (formerly the chassis number) can provide a first clue. It is written in the vehicle documents and can be read through the windshield in many cars. In addition, it is usually hammered into the sheet metal in the engine compartment (e.g. on the firewall to the passenger compartment or on another load-bearing part of the body). The VIN is often also stamped in the area of the seat console. There are also often black stickers on the B-pillar, which become visible when the front door is opened. Most major manufacturers indicate the model year with letters or numbers in the tenth digit of the chassis number. The latter is not necessarily identical to the year of manufacture, but begins in May of the previous year for one manufacturer and in August for another. It is therefore possible that a car was produced at the end of 2017, but already comes from the 2018 model year, which was introduced by this manufacturer in the middle of 2017.
Production brands
Many vehicle components are marked – more or less heavily encrypted – with their date of manufacture. This is generally just a few days or weeks before the production date of the entire car. The date can often be found on various components in the engine compartment, in the interior or in the trunk under the floor covering. But the belts or window panes can also be marked with the date of manufacture. Sometimes the month or calendar week and the year are simply stated. Some information consists of an arrow in a circle of month numbers with the arrowhead on the month of production; the last two digits of the year are often also given.
Tires and wheels
The letters DOT (Department of Transportation) and a four-digit, specially marked combination of numbers can usually be found on the sidewalls of vehicle tires. Tip: also check the spare wheel. Its DOT marking should come from a similar period as the other bikes. Light alloy wheels usually have a cast production mark on the inside with the month and year of manufacture. Steel wheels often have manufacturing dates stamped on the outer edge of the rim. Caution: Tires with a three-digit DOT number are dangerous: This was only used until the end of the 1990s and indicates that the tire is now very old and can no longer be used.
Click here for our current tire tests.
Vehicle age as a defect
If you find out that your vehicle was already older than 12 months when you signed the purchase contract, you don’t have to accept this. If you have ordered a brand new car, you can also request that one be delivered to you. From a legal perspective, it is a brand new vehicle if and as long as the model of this vehicle continues to be built unchanged, it does not have any defects due to its service life and there is no more than 12 months between manufacture and purchase. If the car is older, it is no longer considered a new vehicle and there is a defect that leads to claims against the seller. The same applies to mobile homes (BGH ruling of October 17, 2017), although the structure is often mounted on the vehicle frame with a delay.
Buying a used car: This car data is available free of charge
Valid data on the used car can both offer the buyer a measure of security and help the seller to create trust in their offer – even if, from the point of view, speedometer fraud cannot be reliably detected in this way.
What many people don’t know: You don’t necessarily have to use the paid services of private providers. The following data about your own vehicle can also be obtained access free of charge:
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Mark
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Manufacturer, model, chassis number, version name
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Key and type number
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Date of first registration and number of previous owners, next general inspection
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Technical data such as dimensions, empty and total weight, axle loads, tire size
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Trailer load, number of seats, fuel, displacement (for combustion engines), rated power, maximum speed, stationary/driving noise, emission class, CO₂ value, additional information important for the tax class, type approval number and its date (important for assessing whether a car already has the must comply with new mileage protection regulations in accordance with EU 2017/1151)
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Information on changing, seasonal, vintage, electric or green license plates
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Owner and insurance details
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Transfers to other owners
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Mileage readings during the most recent general inspections and whether an inspection sticker was issued
That’s how it works:
1st option: With an electronic ID card
Anyone who has an ID card with an online identification function can request a multi-page data extract free of charge from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) for all vehicles registered to them. The ID card and the ID app2* are required. This only takes a few minutes and is recommended by for car salespeople. Because by doing so they show that they have nothing to hide. Prospective buyers should specifically look for this Data extract questions.
2nd option: Inquiry to Fahrzeug-System-Daten GmbH
Anyone who is satisfied with the data from the last general inspection, the mileage read there, the measured values of the brake test as well as the defects discovered and the information provided can inquire with Fahrzeug-System-Daten GmbH (FSD) in accordance with Section 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To do this, enter the request in the contact form on fsd-web.de* and attach a copy/scan of your own ID card and registration certificate part 1 or 2 of your own car. The request should be sent by letter to: Fahrzeug-System-Daten GmbH, Wintergartenstraße 4, 01307 Dresden.
* By clicking on the link you will be redirected to an external website, for whose content the respective site operator is responsible.
