Romanian automotive market shows rising new car interest amid odometer fraud concerns

Data from Autovit and carVertical highlight significant trends and challenges in the Romanian automotive market. While overall vehicle registrations have seen a decline, consumer interest on the Autovit platform remains steady. Notably, interest in new cars has risen to 5.4% of views during the summer of 2026, despite a broader 11.1% decrease in new car registrations reported by DRPCIV.

SUV models continue to dominate consumer preferences, accounting for nearly 40% of platform views and leads. However, the used car market faces serious integrity issues. A study by carVertical reveals that approximately 7.5% of checked vehicles in Romania showed signs of odometer tampering, with mileage being reduced by an average of 95,100 kilometers.

The study also highlights a lack of consumer awareness regarding fraud; 77.5% of Romanian buyers reported they would not know where to report such discrepancies, and over 76% expressed doubt about their ability to recover financial losses. Under Romanian law, deliberate mileage reduction is classified as fraud.