Start with the paperwork: the vehicle registration certificate lists every ownership transfer, and the service book plus dealer maintenance records help confirm mileage. For digital verification, ask the seller for a live video walkaround plus a diagnostic scan report showing the ECU-recorded mileage, which is hard to manipulate. For EVs, request a battery state-of-health (SOH) report — it reveals real usage patterns far better than the odometer. Finally, a pre-shipment inspection by a third party should include structural checks (pillars, chassis rails) to rule out accident repairs. Build "no major accident, no flood or fire damage" into your purchase contract with a refund clause if the inspection contradicts it.

For older vehicles or those used in high temperature and humidity areas, we will focus on opening the hood to check if the insulation of the wiring harness in the high-temperature area of the engine compartment is cracked or brittle, to identify potential short circuit risks that could lead to spontaneous combustion.

Ask the exporter for a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (机动车登记证书). It lists every owner change and any mortgage registration. If the car was financed, there will be a lien entry; make sure a release entry follows it. You can also verify the VIN against public records through the traffic management platform (12123) — a legitimate exporter can generate a status report on the spot. Check that the seller's company name on the invoice matches the registered owner. For extra safety, require a written statement that the vehicle is free of liens, loans, court seizures, and lease agreements, and wire payment only to the company's corporate account after ownership is transferred to the export entity. That sequence — transfer first, payment second — is your strongest protection.