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Buying a car from Korea: what to check

Used cars from South Korea are often well equipped and well priced. A short checklist helps you avoid a flood car, a former rental or a rolled back odometer.

Try a sample:

  • Free check
  • HTML + PDF
  • English or Russian
  • Refund if no report

Before you choose a car

  • Get the VIN of every car you consider, not only the plate number.
  • Run the free check: it shows whether Korean records exist for the VIN.
  • Compare the price with similar cars: a much lower price usually has a reason.

Read the history

  • Accidents and repair costs: small claims are normal, large ones on structural parts are not
  • Who paid: a claim paid by the other party was not the owner's fault
  • Rental, taxi or business use: high mileage and many drivers
  • Owner and plate changes: frequent changes deserve a question
  • Mileage readings: a lower reading after a higher one points to a rollback
  • Flood, theft or total loss: walk away

More on each part in Korean car insurance history.

Before you pay

  • Have the car inspected in Korea, by your agent or an independent inspector.
  • Check that the VIN on the car matches the documents and the report.
  • Agree in writing on what happens if the car does not match the description.
  • Keep the report link: you can open the report again any time.

Which cars can be checked

Every car that was registered and insured in South Korea: Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, SsangYong (KGM), Renault Korea, Chevrolet Korea and imported brands sold in Korea. Found the car on Encar? Read how to check a car from Encar.

What the report shows

  • Accidents and repair costs

    Every insurance event with its date, the parts painted, repaired or replaced, and the amount paid.

  • Who paid for the repair

    Your car's insurer or the other party's: it tells you who was at fault.

  • Owners and plate numbers

    Each change of owner and of registration number, with dates. Frequent changes are a signal.

  • Mileage records

    Odometer readings from insurance events. A lower reading after a higher one is flagged.

  • Rental, taxi, business use

    Whether the car was registered for rental, commercial or government use.

  • Total loss, flood, theft

    The three events that should stop a purchase, checked in every report.

  • Specs, equipment, value

    Factory specification, safety equipment, estimated value, recall campaigns and export declarations.

Reports and prices

The free check comes first and shows which reports have records. You pay once, only for reports with records.

  • Korean Insurance History

    Official state data

    $9.90 per VIN

    Launch price $14.90 You save $5.00

    Accidents and repair costs, owners and plates, rental use, mileage, recalls, export.

  • Global Vehicle History

    $14.00 per VIN

    Launch price $19.90 You save $5.90

    Insurance auctions with photos, inspections and recorded history: damage, mileage, owners.

  • Complete report

    $19.90 per VIN

    Launch price $34.80 You save $14.90

    Korean Insurance History and Global Vehicle History

See the sample reports →

Questions

Many cars from Korea are in good condition, but some were in accidents, floods or rental fleets. A history check by VIN and an inspection before payment lower the risk a lot.

Before you pay a deposit, and again for the exact car you buy.

Yes. Every report is available in English or Russian.

Yes. The free check shows whether records exist for the VIN. You pay only for a report that has records, and a report that cannot be made is refunded automatically.

Usually within a few minutes after payment. It opens on the page and as a PDF, in English or Russian.

More checks and guides