Some people sign a used car contract based only on the listing description, only to find out about an accident history later. Here is what to check before you put your signature on the contract.
1Step 1 — Look up the history on Car365
Car365 is a service run by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority that brings together everything related to a car in one place — from buying a new car and registration, to repair history, used car sales, and scrapping. You can look up the accident and repair history of the used car you are considering, which is useful for checking before you sign that the listing description matches the actual history.
2Step 2 — Separately check whether it is subject to a recall
Apart from the history information on Car365, entering the license plate number or vehicle identification number at the Motor Vehicle Recall Center lets you check whether the car is subject to an ongoing or completed recall. If you notice something unusual while driving after taking ownership, you can report it on the website or via the dedicated defect-report phone line (080-357-2500) — reports that come in are used as evidence in manufacturing-defect investigations and sometimes lead to a recall later.
3Step 3 — Handle the ownership transfer in the same place after the sale
Once the sale is complete, you can continue on to the follow-up administrative steps, including the ownership transfer, online at Car365.
Services mentioned in this guide
Car365
An integrated service for looking up a vehicle's entire lifecycle information in one place - registration, transfer, scrapping, and used-car history
24 hours
Operated by · 국토교통부·한국교통안전공단
Cost · Free
Motor Vehicle Recall Center
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport service for checking whether your car is subject to a recall, and reporting online right away if you suspect a defect
24 hours
Operated by · 국토교통부·한국교통안전공단
Cost · Free