German car websites: AutoScout24, mobile.de and more (2026)

The German car websites that matter are mobile.de and AutoScout24, the two big marketplaces, with Kleinanzeigen as the place where private sellers advertise. The verdict in one sentence: start with the two big portals, both of which you can use in English, treat Kleinanzeigen as the higher-risk option, and use everything else as a specialised tool rather than a starting point.

Everything below reflects the situation in September 2026. Portals close and change hands, and at least one name that older lists of German used car websites still recommend no longer exists.

Contents

• The best German car websites at a glance
• mobile.de: the German car sales website to start with
• AutoScout24 in English: autoscout24.com and the Germany filter
• Kleinanzeigen: private sellers and the risks
• Other sites worth knowing
• How to read a German listing
• Price, VAT and warranty: what protects you when buying a car in Germany
• Getting the car home: German export plates and registration
• FAQ
• Prefer to skip the search? Vin Motors in Vilnius

The best German car websites at a glance

mobile.de: the German car sales website to start with

mobile.de was founded in 1996, is based in Berlin and belongs to Adevinta. It advertises more than 1.6 million vehicles, a figure that includes vans, motorcycles and more alongside cars. Searching and contacting sellers costs you nothing.

The interface comes in a long list of languages, English among them at www.mobile.de/en. One thing no language setting changes: the description the seller wrote stays in German. Each listing also carries a price rating that compares the asking price with the market.

We have a separate, detailed guide on how to use mobile.de in English, so we keep this section short.

AutoScout24 in English: autoscout24.com and the Germany filter

AutoScout24 was founded in 1998, has its registered seat in Grünwald near Munich and has been owned by the investment firm Hellman & Friedman since 2020. The company states over 2 million vehicle listings, around 30 million users a month across Europe and more than 45,000 dealers.

The structure confuses many first-time users. There are country sites, such as autoscout24.de for Germany, autoscout24.nl for the Netherlands, autoscout24.es for Spain and autoscout24.fr for France, along with Austria, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. Then there are extra language versions that are not tied to one country: English at autoscout24.com, Polish at autoscout24.pl, Russian at autoscout24.ru, plus Bulgarian, Czech, Croatian, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Hungarian. There is no Lithuanian version.

So if you are looking for "AutoScout24 Germany" in English, this is the point to remember: autoscout24.com shows stock from across Europe. Open the country filter and choose Germany, and you see only cars that are located in Germany.

Listings carry a price rating with five labels, from clearly below market value to clearly above:

• Sehr guter Preis (very good price)
• Guter Preis (good price)
• Fairer Preis (fair price)
• Erhöhter Preis (raised price)
• Hoher Preis (high price)

You may also see "smyle", AutoScout24's online purchase offer with a 21-day return and a 12-month warranty. It delivers inside Germany only.

Kleinanzeigen: private sellers and the risks

Kleinanzeigen (kleinanzeigen.de) was called eBay Kleinanzeigen until 16 May 2023 and belongs to Adevinta, the same group as mobile.de. It is a general classifieds site, not a car portal, yet it is the main place for private-to-private car sales in Germany. The interface is in German.

Two things raise the risk here. First, a private seller can exclude liability for defects, so you have far less protection than with a dealer. Second, you are dealing with strangers on an open classifieds site. The portal's own safety advice for car buyers is worth following to the letter:

• Never pay before you have seen the car and checked the documents in person.
• Treat any escrow ("Treuhand") offer as a warning sign.
• Be wary of the seller who is "abroad" and asks you to pay for transport first.
• Pay at handover, not before.

If neither you nor someone you trust can see the car in person, Kleinanzeigen is the wrong site.

Other sites worth knowing

12gebrauchtwagen.de

A meta search engine rather than a marketplace. It searches several portals at once and names AutoScout24, mobile.de and Kleinanzeigen among its sources, with about 900,000 cars searchable. The interface is in German.

Autohero

Autohero belongs to AUTO1 Group and sells its own inspected stock online. Every car comes with a 21-day return (the first 500 km are free) and a 12-month warranty. It runs separate shops in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden, and each shop delivers inside its own country. The German shop delivers within Germany only.

pkw.de

A marketplace focused on young used cars, up to about 2 years old and 60,000 km.

Manufacturer certified used programmes

The premium brands run approved used schemes with a minimum warranty, as stated by the brands for Germany. You find these cars through each brand's own used-car search, and they are also listed on the big portals.

Sites on old lists that you can skip

heycar Germany is closed. Volkswagen Financial Services announced the closure in April 2025 and the German site went offline in May 2025, yet many "best sites" lists still name it. Autobid.de, BCA and AUTO1.com also turn up on such lists, but they are trade auctions for registered dealers, not for private buyers.

How to read a German listing

Whichever interface language you pick, sellers write in German. These terms appear in almost every listing:

Price, VAT and warranty: what protects you when buying a car in Germany

Dealer liability. When you buy from a German dealer as a consumer, statutory liability for defects runs for 2 years. For used cars a dealer may shorten it to 1 year, but only with a separate, explicit agreement. A private seller may exclude it completely. The protection applies to consumers from other EU countries too, with one practical catch: your claim is against the German dealer, which in practice means taking the car back to Germany.

The contract wording. If the contract is written as a trade or export sale (look for "Händlergeschäft" or "Export"), you lose consumer protection. Insist on a normal consumer contract.

VAT. German VAT is 19%. "MwSt. ausweisbar" means VAT is shown separately on the invoice, which matters to VAT-registered businesses. "Differenzbesteuert" or "§25a" means the margin scheme: no VAT is shown and nothing can be reclaimed.

For a private buyer the EU rule is simple. A used car, meaning more than 6,000 km and more than 6 months since first registration, bought from a dealer in another EU country already has VAT in the German price, and no VAT is due at home. A new car, meaning up to 6,000 km or within 6 months of first registration, is taxed with VAT in the country where you register it. Registration and vehicle taxes at home apply in both cases.

Getting the car home: German export plates and registration

Kurzzeitkennzeichen (short-term plates) are valid for at most 5 days plus the day of issue and require a valid periodic inspection (HU, the "TÜV"). They are national plates with no guarantee of recognition abroad. According to ADAC, recognition agreements exist with Austria, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland, and drivers have been turned back in the Benelux countries and France. They are not suitable for driving home across several borders.

Ausfuhrkennzeichen (German export plates) are valid abroad. Their validity follows the insurance term, in practice from about 15 days up to a maximum of 12 months, and never beyond the HU. A valid HU is mandatory here too.

A third route is Lithuanian transit plates by mail: valid for 30 days, €129.99 per vehicle (€79.99 each for businesses from 2 vehicles), plus actual costs.

If the car is going to be registered in Lithuania, declare the purchase to Regitra and get the owner declaration code (SDK) before the car enters the country. Before registration you pay the CO2-based registration tax, which is €0 up to 130 g/km and doubles for diesels, and compulsory insurance must already be in place. A valid German HU report can be recognised, but not automatically. The steps are in our guide to importing a car from Germany to Lithuania, and the figures in the breakdown of car import taxes from Germany.

FAQ

What are the best German used car websites?

mobile.de and AutoScout24. They are the two big marketplaces, both can be used in English, and both rate the asking price against the market. Kleinanzeigen is where private sellers advertise, and 12gebrauchtwagen.de searches all three at once.

Is there an AutoScout24 Germany site in English?

Not as a separate site. The German country site is autoscout24.de, and the English version is autoscout24.com, which shows cars from across Europe. Set the country filter to Germany and you get German stock with an English interface.

Where do I find the most used cars in Germany?

On the two big portals. mobile.de advertises more than 1.6 million vehicles, and AutoScout24 states over 2 million listings Europe-wide. Manufacturer certified cars are listed there as well.

Is buying a car in Germany as a foreigner realistic?

Yes. Searching and contacting sellers on mobile.de is free, and German consumer protection covers buyers from other EU countries when they buy from a dealer under a normal consumer contract. What takes planning is the trip home: the right plates, valid insurance for them and registration in your own country.

Do I pay VAT twice if I buy a car in Germany?

No. For a used car bought from a dealer, VAT is already in the German price and none is due at home. Only a new car, up to 6,000 km or within 6 months of first registration, is taxed with VAT in the country where you register it.

How long are export plates in Germany valid?

Ausfuhrkennzeichen follow the insurance term: in practice from about 15 days up to a maximum of 12 months, and never beyond the car's HU. Short-term Kurzzeitkennzeichen last at most 5 days plus the day of issue and are not guaranteed to be recognised outside Germany.

Prefer to skip the search? Vin Motors in Vilnius

Not every car has to come from a German listing. Vin Motors is a dealer in Vilnius, at Kelpių g. 37, with used premium cars from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and others that you can view on site today. Every car page shows the price, VIN and photos, and stock changes constantly, so have a look at the used cars available in Vilnius first. New to the local market? Read how to buy a car in Lithuania.

If the car you want is not there, our cars to order from Germany and Europe service covers the search, a history and condition check before purchase, and the paperwork. The fee is €950 plus VAT, plus actual transport, and an on-site TÜV/DEKRA inspection is an optional extra. And if you have already bought a car yourself and only need a legal way to drive it home, we send transit plates by mail.