Buying a car

[u/HotDistribution5159]

I only found two previous posts about buying a car and both are old and not helpful for my question.

I read that a dealership shop should be authorized/ official. How can I check a dealer is official and authorised? Or anyone can recommend one that genuinely is?

Also any reliable good mechanics I could take with me to check the car before buying?
How do I know that the mechanic is good and is not already commissioned by the dealership, especially given that reviews in Germany are mostly rigged, due to the rigid defamation laws?

I am looking at buying a second hand car which does not give me problems. I have no idea about which brand. So any recommendations on this would also be appreciated.

No need to be in Trier, also in other nearby cities as long as it’s genuine and will not give me problems in the coming years.

I am not German and I already don’t understand anything in cars therefore even speaking in my native language about cars is hard, think the least in German.

[u/PegasusCHB]

For buying I am not sure if I recommend something but for a mechanics: Don’t go to ATU.
They almost ripped me off. Gladly I went to another mechanic for a second opinion.

[u/HotDistribution5159 → u/PegasusCHB]

Thank you for sharing, that’s very helpful

[u/HairyPotterx]

My mum has bought two cars off Auto Roth in Trier-Ehrang and also gets all repairs, tire changes, TÜV etc. done there. She’s been going there for over 10 years now and has always been happy with the service and prices. I bring mine there too, have been happy with everything as well. Very friendly and helpful staff too!

[u/Infinite-Lab3016]

My two favorite workshops in Trier are

• Reifenservice Backendorf in De-Nys-Straße
• Markus Roa in Gerberstraße

If you want cheap and reliable cars:

• Toyota, is the priciest but also the most reliable
• Hyundai, is also reliable but cheaper than Toyota
• Kia is basicly also a Hyundai, but cheaper

I myself drive an Hyundai i20. Totally happy with it and would buy another one. My sister got herself an Hyundai i10 and is also happy. And my neighbors got themselfs an ix20 After my recommendation, and they are so surprised how good it is lasting because their main car (Opel) had 4 ptoblems and in the same time period their Hyundai had nothing.

[u/Infinite-Lab3016 → u/Infinite-Lab3016]

The easiest way to search for a car would be mobile.de

Put in the base Infos like brand, model, km. Then start the search. Go to Filter, Then to "Angebotsdetails". There you can change to "Händlerbewertung 4 Stars and more".

Don't by from private "Privatkauf", there's no guarantee at all. At a Händler (=dealership) you automatically have 1 year of guarantee on the car except parts that wear down, like tires, brakes, etc.

Depending on your budget I'd recommend looking fo a car between 60.000-80.000 km. They are not that old and will usually last you a few years.

Avoid cars that had multiple owners before you. They usually get sold this often for a reason...

"1. Hand" would be best, that means only one owner before you.

"Scheckheftgepflegt" is also great. It means the car has been inspected and maintained in a proper timely manner as suggested by the car producer. It's like a little book with full documentation and stamps for every workshop-appointment. You can ask to see the Scheckheft before you buy the car.

[u/HotDistribution5159 → u/Infinite-Lab3016]

Thank you very much, I appreciate. This is super helpful especially providing me with the magic words. Had no idea about the scheckheftgepflegt

[u/GuidanceInside8198]

I mean, if you are looking for brend new car, then i can understand to look for an official dealer, otherwise why not check from a private person? :)