Used car market 2021: 5 interesting facts!

The automotive market changes every year, but certain tendencies and car salesman scams remain the same. The IT data company carVertical has now published the annual report with annual statistics for the automotive industry. The company collects information about vehicles from their databases using VIN numbers and generates reports on vehicle history. All facts are based on data from carVertical.

1. Frequently involved in accidents, the BMW brand

The damage statistics are impressive: All reports together result in damage of EUR 3.282.580.416. It is interesting that some vehicles are involved in accidents much more often than others. It may come as no surprise that BMW tops the damage list. Because 47,77% of all BMWs on the market are more or less damaged. However, only 29,53% of Fiats have had an accident.

2. Mileage fraud is widespread: 18,5% of inspected vehicles are tampered with.

According to those created during the year Vehicle History Reports Mileage changes are among the most common forms of fraud. Last year, 18,5% of all reports showed signs of odometer tampering. Expressed in pure numbers, that is 7.112.444.874 km that were turned back on the vehicles checked.

3. Most stolen: Škoda Octavia

In 2021, too, thieves stole cars diligently and dubious sellers then resold them. The best way to avoid buying a stolen car is to check the vehicle history. Last year the company created Car History Reports 672 reports of cars marked as "stolen". It shows that the most frequently stolen vehicle was the Škoda Octavia with 38 copies. According to the reports, an Octavia is 3,75 times more likely to be stolen than a neighbor's BMW 3 Series is stolen. This means that Škoda owners should be extra careful and take good care of their car.

4. Popular cars in 2021: BMW, Volkswagen and Audi

According to the data, BMW, Volkswagen and Audi are the most popular automakers. Together they make up 13% of all cars reviewed on carVertical's platform. The 3-series BMW in particular is popular, accounting for about 5% of all carVertical history reports. The VW Passat and Audi A4 are close behind, while models from other manufacturers can be found in the top 15. Other popular vehicles include the BMW 5 Series, VW Golf, Audi A6, Škoda Octavia, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Opel Astra, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Ford Focus, Audi A3, the BMW X5, the Škoda Superb and the BMW 1 Series.

5. The oldest controlled car models are BMW

There are more old BMWs on the market than any other manufacturer. 40,38% of the BMWs checked by carVertical in 2021 were built between 1990 and 2010. For VW and Audi, however, the figure is only 14,56% and 19,97%. And for manufacturer Citroën, the proportion of older vehicles is even lower, at just 10,92%. If you only count newer vehicles, things look even worse for BMW. 52,06% of vehicles built after 2010 are damaged in some way. Read carVertical's full ReDrive 2021 report for more statistics, insights, and fun facts about the past year.

carVertical is an IT data company building a global automotive history registry. The rapidly growing company has more than 70 employees and operates in 25 different markets. In 2020, the company's turnover was 8,5 million euros. In 2021, the company doubled its growth.