AutoSmart GuidebooksWhat this guidebook covers
Every ITV (periodic roadworthiness inspection) records the mileage, and any buyer can see it in the DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic) vehicle report. Selling a car with the odometer wound back is fraud: up to 3 years in prison, or 6 if aggravated. The buyer can cancel the sale, claim damages and report it.
This guidebook covers 6 standards for selling and managing vehicles, with 14 checkpoints: real mileage, transfers and stock, safety recall campaigns, trade plates, a true vehicle history, and the fuel consumption and CO2 label. The guidebook PDF is in Spanish.
The 6 vehicle standards
Open a standard to see the law behind it, what is checked, what it can cost and the evidence. Ideal fix times are counted from audit submission.
VEH-01Real mileageImmediate
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · Criminal Code arts. 248–250: fraud · Law 3/1991: misleading advertising
- What we check
- Before a used car is sold, the odometer is compared with the DGT report (the mileage at each ITV inspection) and the service history.
- What it can cost
- Prison and the sale cancelled.
- Evidence
- DGT reports
VEH-02Transfers and stock7 days
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · General Vehicle Regulation: notice of sale and transfer · handover to a dealer for resale
- What we check
- Cars in stock are in the dealer's name or notified as handed over for resale. Every sale is transferred on time.
- What it can cost
- Traffic fines and customer claims.
- Evidence
- DGT reports
VEH-03Recall campaigns72 hours
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety · RD 1801/2003
- What we check
- No car is sold or delivered with a safety campaign outstanding. Affected customers are notified.
- What it can cost
- A consumer fine of up to €1 million and civil liability.
- Evidence
- Campaign report
VEH-04Trade plates7 days
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · General Vehicle Regulation: temporary trade permits for testing
- What we check
- Trade permits are used only for tests, transfers and demonstrations, with each use and driver recorded.
- What it can cost
- A fine and possible withdrawal of the permit.
- Evidence
- Log
VEH-05True vehicle history72 hours
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · Law 3/1991: misleading omissions · TRLGDCU
- What we check
- Import, serious accidents, previous use (rental, taxi) and the ITV inspection are disclosed. The DGT report is handed over with the sale.
- What it can cost
- A consumer fine and the sale cancelled.
- Evidence
- Reports
VEH-06Fuel consumption and CO2 label72 hours
- The law
- Criminal Code · General Vehicle Regulation (RD 2822/1998) · Royal Decree 837/2002: information on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
- What we check
- Every new car on display carries a visible fuel consumption and CO2 label, and advertising includes these figures. The DGT environmental badge is correct.
- What it can cost
- A consumer fine, depending on the region.
- Evidence
- Photos
How to run a Spanish vehicle sales and records audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Consumer fines depend on the region and DGT procedures change: confirm the current DGT procedure for each transaction before the audit.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 14 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Check 10 used cars and 10 stock cars against their DGT reports, 10 VINs in the brand's recall system, one month of the trade plate log, 10 ads against history reports, and the labels in the showroom.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: DGT vehicle reports, the recall campaign report, the trade plate log, history reports and photos of the showroom labels.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from immediate to 7 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Management: answers for what is sold
- Used car and registration teams: check mileage, history and paperwork
- Auditors: cross-check cars against DGT reports
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
