Most Common Mistakes When Importing a Car from the USA – How to Avoid Costly Errors

1. Focusing only on the purchase price

A low auction price does not mean a cheap car delivered to your door.

Many buyers ignore:

• auction fees
• inland US transport
• ocean freight
• customs duty and VAT
• excise tax
• repair and conversion costs

This leads to massive budget overruns.

2. Not checking the vehicle history

Not every US car is “lightly damaged”.

Common risks include:

• rolled-back odometers
• flood damage
• fire damage
• multiple previous accidents

Always verify CARFAX or AutoCheck reports.

3. Buying flood or fire-damaged vehicles

One of the most dangerous mistakes.

Flood or fire vehicles often:

• have hidden electrical damage
• fail later unexpectedly
• are hard or impossible to register in Europe

Rule: avoid them completely.

4. Misunderstanding taxes and excise duty

Many importers discover excise tax too late.

Examples:

• engines up to 2.0L → lower excise
• engines over 2.0L → up to 18.6%
• VAT 23% applied to vehicle + shipping + duty

Wrong calculations can destroy profitability.

5. Ignoring EU compliance modifications

US cars are not EU-ready.

Required modifications:

• headlights and rear lights
• indicators and fog lights
• speedometer in km/h
• EU compliance approvals

Skipping this step leads to unexpected costs.

6. Bidding without experience

Auction bidding looks easy, but:

• emotions cause overbidding
• damage is often underestimated
• real market value is misunderstood

Result: overpaying from day one.

7. Not using a professional broker

The most expensive mistake of all.

Without a professional broker:

• limited auction access
• higher transport costs
• documentation risks
• lack of control over the process

A good broker saves money by preventing mistakes, not creating them.