Car-Pass: an efficient way to avoid milometer fraud

Have you ever wondered how a car which was bought second-hand after several years of driving only shows 15,000 km on the milometer?

Don’t be fooled!

Before 1 December 2006, numerous consumers were scammed by unscrupulous car mechanics. Until that time, falsified milometers were commonplace. The only thing a consumer could do was check for wear and tear on the pedal, any clogging of the engine, etc., but none of this helped the average consumer very much.

The Car-Pass system

Since 1 December 2006, for any sale of a used car, the seller (whether individual or professional) is required to provide the individual buyer with a Car-Pass. This is a document which provides the car’s kilometric information.

The Car-Pass is delivered by the ASBL Car-Pass by companies which are authorised to carry out vehicle inspections. Kilometrages are supplied to the ASBL Car-Pass:

• By automobile professionals (car mechanics, car body workshops, tyre centrals, etc.);
• By companies authorised to carry out vehicle inspections, including registration of the kilometrage of all vehicles inspected.

The kilometrage is always transmitted at the same time as the car’s frame number and the date of the milometer reading.

Don’t hesitate to claim your Car-Pass, because the consequences can be severe if you are caught without it. Current legislation allows any buyer who did not receive a Car-Pass to ask for the sales contract to be declared null and void by a judge. The judge is then required to do so. The purchase would then be considered inexistent and the purchase amount must be refunded to the buyer.

An extra level of security…

The Car-Pass is the document which shows the kilometric history of a car. It provides all known kilometrages as well as the dates on which they were noted.

It also contains other information:

• The car’s make and model;
• The date when the vehicle was registered for the first time in Belgium;
• The vehicle identification number (VIN);
• The date on which the document was drawn up;
• The Car-Pass identification number which verifies the document's authenticity.

Disputes and complaints

If you would like to file a complaint, contact the Directorate-General Control and Mediation.