Cars flooded on the used market. In Portugal information is confidential
buy a used car in Portugal it can be a «shot in the dark». In our country, the list of saved technicians — vehicles whose accident exceeds 70% of the value attributed by the accredited body — is not public.
These are vehicles that, in some cases, can even be repaired and returned to their original condition, but which for those confirmed no longer have a value that justifies their evolution.
We are talking about vehicles involved in road accidents, floods or even fires, which after even the necessary repairs can be taken to the used market, ready to circulate.
ALSO READ: I sell my car. What happens to insurance?
However, in Portugal, this return to the market can happen without the consumer’s prior knowledge of the vehicle’s history. An even more important issue is when repairs are not properly carried out and the vehicle is not returned to its original characteristics.
A scenario that contrasts with other European countries, where it is possible to access the history of accidents and occurrences of the vehicle. A list that in Portugal only exists in the certificates database.
Can I find out if a car has been flooded or in an accident?
Due to the floods that have occurred in Portugal in recent weeks, and the many flooded cars, several requests for clarification have reached Razão Automóvel. “Is it possible to know if the car I’m going to buy has been flooded?”, has been one of the most recurrent doubts among our readers.
We sent the matter back to the Associação Portuguesa do Comércio Automóvel (APDCA):
“APDCA, in its capacity as an Association that exclusively represents the Used Car Trade sector, has been raising awareness among the Government and the different Parliamentary Benches for the last two years of the need to make the salvage list public. For the sake of transparency that we always defend and so that these lists do not get “lost” in the intricacies of registered companies”.
Nuno Silva, President of APDCA
ALSO READ: I damaged my car in a pothole in the road. What can I do?
Also contacted by Razão Automóvel, the Portuguese Insurance Association (APS) sent further clarifications to the Mobility and Transport Institute (IMT):
This information is not the responsibility of the protected parties, not least because many damaged vehicles converted into technical salvages are not even compensated by the insurance, due to lack of coverage.
Portuguese Association of Insurers
List of “public and easy-to-consult” saves
According to APDCA, the list of saved technicians must be “public and easy to consult”. However, he makes a caveat: data relating to owners must be excluded from this list.
ALSO READ: Mandatory “black box” on new engines from 2022 onwards. What data will remain?
For APDCA “this solution would avoid situations in which a given car as a technical salvage was recovered, put into circulation and sold. Prior knowledge of the situation of the vehicle by retailers and consumers thus avoided scenarios that would undermine the good name of companies and consumer interests”, concluded APDCA in response to Razão Automóvel.