The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, or CCPC, has called on the Irish Government to establish a national used car database to protect Irish car buyers from faulty cars and misleading advertising.
Inadequate information
With used car histories much in the news at the moment, following the recent scandals involving the National Car Test (NCT) passing unsafe vehicles as fit for the road, the CCPC reckons that Irish consumers are poorly served by inadequate information when it comes to a car’s mileage, past accidents, safety recalls, and import status. The Commission points out that much of this information is collected by the State but is either inaccessible or available only for a fee from commercial car history providers.
There’s also the fact that, in this regard, Ireland is lagging well behind our European neighbours and fellow right-hand drive markets - 20 other EU member states, including Belgium, Estonia and Poland, offer public access to car histories, with the UK, New Zealand and Australia also giving consumers access to essential car history information.
Thousands of consumers
Brian McHugh, Chair of the CCPC, said, “The State can and must close the knowledge gap for consumers. Thousands of consumers contact the CCPC helpline every year when things go wrong with second-hand cars. CCPC officers carry out regular investigations, inspections and enforcement action, but arming consumers with information is the most efficient and cost-effective way to help safeguard every second-hand car sale in the country.
“What’s more, sharing car history with buyers will protect all road users, helping to keep dangerous cars off Irish roads. It is in the public interest to have an open, free and accessible State database of essential car history information. Much of this information is already collected by the State. Some of that is made available to traders and car history providers, but not directly to consumers. We also know that information available from car history providers can be incomplete. Consumers deserve better. We need the State to capture key car history information and share it with consumers for free. A car is one of the most expensive purchases a consumer will ever make, and buyers need accurate information so they can get value for money and a safe and reliable vehicle for them and their family.”
The CCPC’s report calls on the government to establish a national database that draws on information sourced from the NCT, insurance companies, the Gardai, and potentially car dealerships, garages, and workshops.
Write-off categories
The CCPC has previously said that it receives more complaints about car sales than any other single consumer category and that Irish car buyers are being put in potential danger by the fact that our write-off categories - A, B, C, and D - no longer match those of the UK, which now uses A, B, S, and N.
In theory, a scrupulous car dealer will disclose that a car has been previously written off - and those in categories C and D (or S and N if they’re a UK car) can be legally repaired and sold on. However, many sellers will avoid mentioning the fact if they can avoid it, and while the Government’s National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) records such data, that information is difficult to access for the average consumer.
Clear public interest
In its report, the CCPC says: “There is a clear public interest objective in empowering consumers to access information about the history of a used car to protect the buyer of the car and the public. Unlike many other consumer goods, used cars have the potential to affect not just the purchasing consumer, but all road users. The provision of access to reliable and comprehensive information about a car’s history is therefore not solely a consumer protection issue related to the safeguarding of buyers of used cars, but a broader issue of protecting the public.”
The report concludes that “The Minister for Transport should ensure the creation of a one-stop-shop free online portal for accessing key car history information. As a result, consumers would be more informed about the history of a car before purchase and at a reduced risk of being misled as to the car’s history by the seller.”
History services support the CCPC’s move
The leading private car history checking services in Ireland say that they support the CCPC’s call for a centralised database. “The CCPC’s findings reaffirm the importance of transparency in the used car market,” said Ger Toher, Chief Operating Officer at Cartell.ie. “We have always championed consumers' right to clear, accurate, and comprehensive vehicle history information. Greater access to critical data, especially write-off records, will help ensure buyers are protected from hidden risks. Our commitment remains to provide the most reliable vehicle history insights, empowering motorists to purchase with confidence and trust.”
Cartell says that it believes in “A collaborative approach, combining industry expertise with government oversight, is key to improving data accessibility. The company continues to advocate for broader access to vital vehicle history data, particularly category C and D write-off records, to support safer, more informed car purchases. Cartell.ie looks forward to further engaging with the CCPC, the Department of Transport, and other stakeholders to drive meaningful improvements in data transparency within the used car market.”
Meanwhile, fellow car history checking service Motorcheck.ie told CompleteCar that it had “contributed towards the [CCPC’s] research last year and we support their calls for more unrestricted access to data on damaged vehicles and mileage.”