The American reality – what are the most common types of damage to cars from USA?
Cars from USA, aside from the United States, are also used in other countries. Their import to Europe or Asia is not massive, but they are quite an interesting option on the used cars market. However, it is worth remembering that cars imported from the USA usually have already been damaged.
Cars from USA – what’s the matter with them?
The United States, along with China and Europe, is one of the largest automotive markets in the world. The high availability of cars and attractive prices have made it a popular destination for importing cars to Poland for years. The Polish enthusiasts of cars from USA appreciate their spaciousness and driving comfort. Despite the harder availability of some parts than in the case of vehicles manufactured in Europe or Asia, there is no shortage of people willing to buy cars from USA. However, importing a car on their own is rare – buyers most often use the services of specialized companies.
However, it is worth remembering that the vast majority of cars from USA imported to Poland are damaged. A car purchased from the USA usually has a damaged body.
According to the autoDNA statistics collected in 2023, most often, as it is in over 92% of cases of all defects of vehicles from the USA, it has to do with damage to the bodywork.
The most common damage in cars from USA
Almost half of the defects (47%) include damage to the front of the car, which means, for example, a crushed bumper, broken headlights or even a damaged radiator.
The next “most popular” elements in this ranking are the back, the side as well as the left and right sides. Next are the left and right front, and at the end of the list there is the damage to more than one area. These types of damage, due to lower labour costs, are worth repairing after importing the car to Poland, and then reselling the car with profit. The lower cost of buying cars from USA also means lower taxes, calculated from the value of the vehicle to importing the car to Poland. This makes it profitable to bring damaged cars to Poland.
Polish customers usually rely on professional advice when it comes to importing cars from the United States. This is due to the specificity of the local market – sales take place through car auctions. That is why it is the specialized companies which deal with importing cars. Thanks to this, it is possible to buy cars from USA at all. All formalities, e.g. customs clearance, transport of cars from USA, are taken on by the intermediary. Thanks to such companies, importing a car from the USA is a relatively easy process for everyone.
When importing cars from USA, it is worth checking the vehicle history, which will dispel any doubts whether you have found the car of your dreams. This should tell you if it’s the right one. Professional companies which deal with importing cars from USA should also inform the potential buyer about the condition of the vehicle.
Which types of damage are most commonly found in cars from the USA imported to Poland
What to look for when choosing a car?
The selected vehicle should meet your criteria in terms of functionality, price and moderate maintenance costs after purchase. When choosing a used car, it is worth taking into account the technical condition, instead of looking for a specific brand and model. It is worth entrusting the purchase of a car to a specialized company. Importing cars from USA is a rather complicated process in which the help of a professional is essential.
Most of the imported cars from the United States were made in the USA and are vehicles intended for this market – they usually have large engines (basically only gasoline, or hybrid or electric drives) and are usually more spacious.
Damage to cars from USA by brand
The damage according to the brands is not much different from the general list. German cars are slightly more likely to have a damaged front, while Japanese cars have a damaged rear. In addition, the cars of individual brands do not differ significantly from the average – most of them share bodywork damage.
The exoticism of the cars from USA also means that it may be difficult to resell them in some time. It will certainly take more time to find another enthusiast for this type of car than its European counterpart, e.g. Volkswagen Passat produced in Germany. Cars from the European market will be easier to sell further than cars from USA.
TOP 10 brands imported from USA and the most common type of damage found in them
At autoDNA.com, the market-leading VIN decoding tool, you can free VIN lookup on a given vehicle. All you need for this is the VIN number. In the reports, on used cars, you can find information that will allow you to check whether the seller is telling the truth or not. In the report, you can find data on various topics. One of them is the vehicle history or stolen vehicle bases. You can do a VIN check for free 24/7 throughout the year.
