6/1/2018 Munich Mela: Car

Car

Purchase

Registration

Insurance

Inspection

Repair

Rental

Purchase

If you decide to have your own car and are new to German system, then it
is time to inform yourself. You have too many choices and selecting a car is
not an easy task. On the top of it, the used car market is very attractive
which simply makes it more difficult to decide.

Informing yourself

To get yourself informed about different models, buy a car catalog (Auto
Katalog). Such catalogs are published annually or half yearly and provide
technical information, price comparison and other details about all the new
models available. Although the catalogs are in German, it is worth buying
one. The price is DM 15,- and you can find them in any book store. You can
also check for their web sites e.g. http://www.autouniversum.de

Finding car

Newpapers
You can find hundreds and thousands ads for new and used cars in
local news papers, generally Wednesdays and and Saturdays.
Internet
Most of the news papers list all the ads on their web-sites and
provide a good search mechanism. You can also check the web sites
of several companies and dealers e.g. http://www.volkswagen.de
Dealers
Many dealers have a wide selection of used cars. They may be priced
slightly above the private market level but they often come with a
limited guarantee and typically are in good condition. The dealer will
also be able to help you with the formalities of insurance and
registration.

Buying a used car on the private market is the cheapest option, but is
somewhat riskier and may require more time and effort to find out what
you want. It is always wise to have a used car checked by a private
mechanic before buying it. ADAC also provides this service at a typical
price.

Terms and abbreviations used in car ads

Abbreviation Explanation Translation

AHK Anhängerkupplung equipped with a trailer hitch
Alu Alufelgen aluminium wheels
ASU Abgassonderuntersuchung annual emission test passed
Bj 95 Baujahr 1995 built in 1995
Col Colorscheiben tinted glass

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elFH Elektrische Fensterheber electric window

Elektrisches
ESD electric sliding roof
Stahlschiebedach
EZ Erstzulassung first registration
car being sold by an
employee of a car
JW Jahreswagen
manufacturer after about
one year
KA/Klima Klimaanlage air conditioning
Kat Katalysator catalytic converter
LM Leichtmetallfelgen alloy wheels
NP Neupreis price when new
RC/RCR Radio-Kassette radio with cassette player
Rostfrei Rostfrei rust free
SD Schiebedach sliding roof
GSD Glassschiebedach glass sliding roof
SSD Steelschiebedach steel sliding roof
SL Servolenkung power steering
SH Sitzheizung heated seats
TÜV neu TÜV neu Inspection was done recently
TÜV 9/01 or TÜV 9/01 or TÜV inspection is valid
§ 9/01 § 9/01 until September 2001
unfallfrei unfallfrei no previous accident
VB Verhandlungsbasis price negotiable
ZV Zentralverriegelung central door locking

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Registration

Resistration of the car is required by the law. You are required to do this at
Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle.

Please note the following :

When buying car from a dealer, formalities of registration are to be

handled by you.

When purchasing a private car, you will have to take care of

registration yourself.

You will need :

1. Passport
2. Fahrzeugbrief (proof of ownership)
3. Insurance papers (Doppelkarte) from your car insurance
company. For details, refer to car insurance

When bringing over your own car (from other country), you will need
to get car registered within one year in Germany.

You will need :

1. Passport
2. TÜV statement - a certificate that the car meets German
standards
3. Fahrzeugbrief (proof of ownership)
4. Old number plates
5. Insurance papers (Doppelkarte) from your car insurance
company. For details, refer to car insurance
6. form Antrag KBA - Auskunft
You will have to fill out this form.

Once you have your car registered, you will be issued a "Fahrzeugschein"
which you should always have with you as a proof of insurance (required by
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law).

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Insurance

Once you have found a suitable car, you are required by law to carry
liability insurance. To choose an insurance company, check yellow pages
(index Versicherungen) or ask your colleagues

How much will it cost ?

The company will give you a quote for insurance which is considered the
"100% quote" This is not necessarily the price you will pay. Your bill will
range from 40% to 175% of the quote, depending upon your driving record
from your previous insurance company. If your record prove you to be a
safe driver, you will have to pay much less.

Ask the insurance agent about an International green card which

guarantees insurance liability when driving abroad.

What kind of insurance ?

"Vollkasko Versichrung" is the most comprehensive but also the most

expensive insurance. By accepting a deductible (Selbstbeteiligung) costs
can be reduced drastically. These policies include car damage by mechanic,
force, violence, your own fault (some exceptions e.g. drunken driving) etc.

"Teilkasko Versichrung" is a policy which typically covers fire, storm

damage, theft, unauthorized use of a car by third parties, collision with wild
animals etc.

"Haftpflicht Versichrung" (liability) is the legal minimum and covers

costs incurred due to damages/injuries to third parties but not to you or
your car.

"Insassen-Unfallversichrung" (passenger accident insurance) covers

injuries caused by you to passengers in your car other than the driver or
owner.

You will be issued so-called "Doppelkarte" which is your proof of

insurance. You will need this to register your car. Ask insurance company to
help with registration. They might charge you for it.

You need :

Passport
Fahrzeugbrief (proof of ownership)
Documents from your previous insurance company (not necessary)

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Inspection

Hauptuntersuchung

Every two years you will need to get your car checked for roadworthiness.
The test is called Hauptuntersuchung and is done by TÜV. The fee is about
DM 80,-. If your car does not pass this inspection, you will be asked to go
to a garage, get all the repairs done, and return for inspection (extra
charge: about DM 40,-)

Some people may prefer to take their car to a reputable garage to get
repairs and TÜV inspection done by the garage. However, in most cases it
is more expensive.

After a successful inspection, they will put a stamp indicating the validity of
the inspection which is two years.

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Abgasuntersuchung

You will also have to have an annual emission control inspection on your
car. This can be done by your local garage or TÜV.

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Repair

For car repair, you should go to a garage. You can find out one from yellow
pages (section Automobile, Autoreparaturen). In case of emergency
breakdown, call ADAC for assistance.

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Rental

If you need car only occasionally, a good choice might be to rent-a-car

rather than buying one. Check the following web links for further details.

www.e-sixt.com

www.avis.de

www.europcar.com

www.hertz.com

www.nationalcar-europe.com

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Find Out

Driving License
Driving rules
German-English glossary (words you should know)

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