Last updated: 2026-10-08
How can I check a used car's mileage history in Europe?
Short answer
A VIN contains no mileage. Readings are recorded at inspections and workshop visits and held in national systems such as Belgium's Car-Pass, the Czech Ministry of Transport odometer check, Spain's DGT report and Poland's Historia Pojazdu. Most cover only their own country's vehicles, so an imported car's earlier readings sit elsewhere. A VIN history report lists dated mileage records where available; a drop between two dates is the clearest warning sign.
Decode any VIN free, then see the full report:
Where odometer readings are recorded, country by country
Each tool answers for vehicles of its own country. What it shows and what it does not show is taken from the official page, checked on 2026-10-08.
| Country | Official source | What it shows | Good to know | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Car-Pass | Readings recorded whenever the vehicle gets professional work: garage, tyre shop or test centre. | The seller must hand it to a private buyer; a professional buyer is not entitled to one. | EUR 11.10 incl. VAT; free if it shows fewer than four readings |
| Czechia | kontrolatachometru.cz | Enter the VIN and see odometer values recorded at technical inspection and emission stations. | The ministry notes the values may not reflect the actual current mileage. | Not stated on the page |
| Netherlands | RDW kilometerstand check | A verdict only: logisch, onlogisch or geen oordeel. The registered readings themselves are not shown. | An onlogisch verdict only applies to measurements after 1 January 2014; no verdict is given for imported vehicles. | Free |
| Spain | DGT vehicle report | Complete report: ITV inspection history, mileage where reported, number of owners, charges. | Only for vehicles registered in Spain. | EUR 8.67 (complete); reduced report free |
| Poland | Historia Pojazdu | Odometer readings from technical inspections (collected since 2014), plus number of owners since Polish registration. | Needs the plate number, VIN and first registration date. | Free |
| France | HistoVec | Technical inspection dates, results and mileage history, plus ownership changes. | The owner generates the report from the plate and shares it with the buyer. | Not stated on the page |
| Germany | No central lookup; HU/TÜV reports | Inspection (HU/TÜV) reports, service book and workshop invoices carry readings. ADAC advises checking them for plausibility. | ADAC considers mileage databases insecure and incomplete. | Documents from the seller |
| Romania | RAR Auto-Pass | A certificate with odometer readings from ITP stations or RAR offices, and repairs after serious accidents. | Requested online with the VIN. | Fee set by RAR |
Official pages checked 2026-10-08. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.
How to check mileage history in five steps
- Match the VIN. Compare the 17-character VIN on the car, in the registration papers and in the advert. If they differ, stop.
- Ask for paper readings. Request inspection reports, the service book and workshop invoices. Each should show a mileage that rises over time.
- Query the car's home country. Use the official tool from the table above for the country where the car was registered. For Poland, start with Historia Pojazdu. Historia Pojazdu
- Add the earlier countries. A national tool does not follow the car abroad. Run the VIN in a cross-border history report to collect dated readings from other countries where records are available. See the Carlytics report
- Put readings in date order. A reading that is lower than an earlier one is the strongest warning sign of a rolled-back odometer. Confirm with an OBD scan and a mechanic before you pay.
Worked example: how a drop shows up
Hypothetical example for illustration only, not a real vehicle. Readings are listed by date.
| Date | Source | Reading | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-03 | Inspection | 98,400 km | Rising |
| 2023-03 | Inspection | 131,200 km | Rising |
| 2025-03 | Inspection in another country | 87,900 km | Drop of 43,300 km: flag |
Why imported cars need a cross-border check
National registers record what happened in their own country. When a car crosses a border its earlier readings stay behind, which is why the Dutch RDW, for example, gives no verdict at all for imported vehicles. The earlier country is where a rollback is most likely to sit, and it is the part a local lookup cannot see.
Pair any record with a physical check: wear on the pedals, seat and steering wheel should fit the mileage, and a workshop can compare the instrument cluster with the figures stored in other control units.
Where Carlytics fits
Carlytics does the cross-border step. Enter the VIN and the free decode confirms the make, model, engine and year. The full report adds dated mileage records, accident and damage records where available, and history from the countries the car was registered in before.
- Dated odometer readings from several countries, listed in order where available
- Accident and damage records where available
- VIN decode: make, model, engine, year
- One report instead of one lookup per country
Full Carlytics report: EUR 8.90 + VAT. The VIN decode is free, no signup.
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find a car's mileage from the VIN alone?
Is there one European database of odometer readings?
What does it mean when a later reading is lower than an earlier one?
Does the Dutch RDW check show me the actual readings?
How do I check the mileage of a car imported from another country?
What does a Carlytics mileage check cost?
Sources checked
Official sources last checked: 2026-10-08