When buying, the Hauptuntersuchung (HU, often just called TÜV) is more than a date on a sticker. It decides whether a car is ready to sell straight away or needs the workshop first – and with it part of your margin. Dealers who build the HU into every purchase get fewer surprises at the test.
- In Germany cars generally go to the roadworthiness test (HU) every two years, new cars for the first time after three years.
- The time left on the HU belongs in the calculation: a due HU costs a fee, preparation and often repairs.
- The last inspection report shows defects and the mileage – ask for it.
- A car with an expired HU may only be moved to the test centre or on short-term or red dealer plates.
- “New HU” in your sales listing is a promise you will be held to.
- A fresh HU often shortens time in stock when reselling.
1. Pricing in the time left
In Germany cars generally have to pass the HU every two years, new cars for the first time after three years. The due date is on the sticker on the rear number plate and in the registration certificate part I. For the calculation, what matters is when the HU is due relative to the planned sale:
- More than a year left: no separate item; the HU is a selling point.
- Due within the expected time in stock: test fee, preparation and a buffer for repairs belong in the calculation.
- Expired: as above – plus the effort of getting the car to the test centre legally.
CarFalke reads the HU date from the listing’s detail page and shows it in the list. A saved search has the condition “new HU”: it then only brings cars whose HU runs for at least another 20 months (or whose listing doesn’t give an HU date).
2. Reading the last inspection report
Ask the seller for the last HU report. It shows more than the sticker:
- Defects found and their class: no defects, minor, major or dangerous defects.
- Notes on wear, for example on brakes, axles or rust – often the repairs of the next HU.
- The mileage at the time of the test, an important check against tampered odometers.
With major defects there is no sticker; the keeper usually has one month to fix them and present the car for a re-test. If the seller can’t show the report, price in the risk.
3. Moving cars with an expired HU
With an expired HU a car may only be used on public roads in a limited way. Dealers have three usual options:
- A direct drive to the test centre or to the workshop preparing the HU – on the existing plates, as long as the car is registered.
- Red dealer plates (“06” plates) for test, trial and transfer drives, if your business has them.
- Short-term plates (Kurzzeitkennzeichen) for a specific vehicle, valid for at most five days.
Running well over the HU date also risks a fine; after more than eight months a penalty point is added. After more than two months overdue the test is also more extensive and more expensive.
4. “New HU” when reselling
A fresh HU is one of the strongest selling points. If you state it in your listing, though, it is a promise: German courts generally treat “HU neu” as a statement of the car’s condition – it must be roadworthy at handover and the test must have been done properly. So give month and year, hand over the report, and do the HU only after reconditioning and repairs are finished.
How much a new HU adds depends on model and price class. For cheaper cars it often decides whether a buyer calls at all; for more expensive ones it is a detail next to service history and condition.
