The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has called on the Government to establish a publicly accessible used car database so that damaged or dangerous vehicles can be identified and avoided at the time of purchase.
The call follows reports in The Irish Times and on RTÉ that the NCT – the National Car Test, run by Spanish company Applus+ and overseen by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) – has passed an unsafe car as fit for the road.
The CCPC’s report states: “Every year, the CCPC is contacted by thousands of consumers who have a problem with a used car they have bought, including hundreds who believe that a used car they purchased in good faith was previously crashed without that damage being disclosed.
“These cars may be unsafe to drive or require expensive repairs to make them safe. The CCPC believes that consumers should be armed with the information they need when buying a used car to help them avoid being misled into making a purchase they would not otherwise have made.”
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While the history of a used car can, in part, be investigated by online service providers such as Motorcheck, the CCPC believes that Ireland is lagging behind countries such as Australia and the UK in providing centralised databases of used car histories accessible to car buyers.
“Action is urgently required to enhance and extend the delivery of information on used cars by the State to help consumers avoid being misled by both traders and private sellers,” according to the CCPC.
The CCPC estimates that in 2023, it cost car buyers a total of €57 million to put faulty used cars right or to have them scrapped in cases of extreme damage.
The CCPC believes that much of this issue could be alleviated by taking data directly from insurers. “The details of cars that are crashed, repaired and put back on the road should be captured by the State and made available via an online portal,” it said.
“This information should be provided by insurers and shared with consumers. The portal should also inform consumers of outstanding recalls on used cars, enabling them to check whether a safety issue has been resolved.”
[ How did a car that was too dangerous to drive pass the NCT?Opens in new window ]
The CCPC is also calling for a consultation on how the Government could compel garages and repair shops to contribute their data on repaired vehicles to the system.
While the NCT records a car’s mileage at each test and is supposed to identify faults both serious and minor, consumers have almost no access to this data. They must rely on the seller to provide previous NCT certificates.
Efforts have been made to make this data public but the CCPC notes that major structural changes within the RSA – including its division into two separate entities – have created uncertainty about which organisation will be responsible for delivering such functions.
According to the CCPC: “There is a clear public interest in empowering consumers to access information about the history of a used car to protect both the buyer and the public.”
