Used car buyers face hidden risks despite online history reports

Purchasing used vehicles from online advertisements carries significant risks that standard checks, such as history reports or short test drives, may not reveal. Even when a car appears to be in good condition and functions normally during a brief inspection, hidden technical or legal defects can lead to substantial financial losses for buyers.

Karolína Topolová, CEO of AURES Holdings (the operator of AAA AUTO and Mototechna), notes that modern vehicles consist of hundreds of components that can be improperly repaired or modified to temporarily bypass error reporting. One major risk involves flood-damaged vehicles. These cars can be professionally cleaned to hide their history, yet water damage often causes progressive issues in electronic control units, safety systems, and other critical components.

In a recent example, experts encountered a Škoda Kodiaq that appeared attractive but showed signs of previous flooding, including a musty odor and mud residue under the carpet. The vehicle also exhibited incorrect accelerator pedal response due to a malfunctioning control unit.