Italy reports low rates of used car mileage tampering

A study by carVertical reveals that mileage tampering in the used car market is a significant issue across Europe, though Italy shows lower incidence rates compared to its neighbors. According to the Transparency Index 2025, which analyzed vehicle history reports from September 2024 to August 2025, 2.91% of verified vehicles in Italy showed signs of mileage manipulation. This places Italy second in the index for having one of the lowest rates of fraud in Europe.

Despite the lower frequency in Italy, the impact of such fraud is substantial. When tampering is detected, the average discrepancy in mileage is approximately 69,800 km, which significantly affects a vehicle's valuation and historical accuracy.

On a broader European scale, the study highlights a lack of consumer awareness and protection. Approximately 76% of respondents stated they do not know where to report mileage fraud, and 87.3% are uncertain if they could recover lost funds. Furthermore, 30.3% of European buyers reported either personally purchasing a vehicle with altered mileage or knowing someone who has.