Used cars from the United States of America have long enjoyed great success in Ukraine due to their significantly lower price and high efficiency. A number of such cars have leaked and have their own “history” – they could have been in an accident or stolen. However, parts of the car are sold at official auctions, the risks for the buyer are minimal.
About how to buy a car in person from the USA and the pros and cons of buying such a vehicle, read the review of RBC-Ukraine journalist Alik Sakhna.
Contents:
-
How to buy a car in the USA
-
How expensive is the car?
-
What time do you have to check for the car to arrive?
In the beginning of 2025, around 2.6 thousand passenger car sales from the United States were registered in Ukraine, which is 3% less than during the same period last year. At the same time, the number of imported American electric cars was almost equal to the number of gasoline cars – 41 versus 42 cars.
In 2024, Ukrainians added up to 42 thousand passenger cars registered in the United States, which accounts for 19% of all vehicles registered in Ukraine during that period. Changed in 2023, the increase in car ownership in the USA is 46%.
How to buy a car in the USA
There are a lot of companies in Ukraine that are engaged in the purchase and delivery of residential cars from the United States, through auctions or intermediaries. Most often, people buy both new cars with damage and used cars with a variety of problems – from minor problems that are easy to repair, to serious accident damage or mechanical failures that require expensive repairs. If you want to transport cars from the United States, you can also add European and Asian brands.
The client is identified by the make, model, color, model, mileage and budget of the car. Once verified, the relevant company will supply a number of vehicle options that meet the criteria. There may be approximately 1 to 20 options per day, which may be located both in the USA and in Ukraine.
“The client provides the characteristics of the car, and we begin to look for it at auctions. So, we can find a car that exactly meets the given requirements. You can take 3 to 4 months. Sometimes, when we search, we find a car with the shortest price and cost ratio, which is what the client really wants,” says RBC-Ukraine Career Company StarCars Ivan Tovmasyan.
After the client purchases a car, the company checks his history through other services (Carfax, AutoCheck, CheckThatVIN, etc.). Checking the vehicle with the American insurance database makes it possible to determine whether the car was rented, damaged in an accident, flooded or damaged by natural elements.
“After the client determines the brand of the car, he also specifies the production date, mileage and budget for which car will be delivered to Ukraine, including costs for payment, delivery and repairs. Or, for example, the client can choose an option without any restrictions, without having to carry out the repair on himself,” said Tovmasyan.
If the client entrusts the repair to the company, he will be insured for the spare parts needed for the repair, as well as for transportation costs. Due to damage, the time for repairs may vary even now.
How expensive is the car?
If the process of acquiring a car in the USA includes a long process of auction before delivery, payment of taxes, the release of such cars, post-repair and all related procedures, pay 30-50% less, lower from local sellers on the Ukrainian market.
For example, on the website of the Columb Trade company, a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan car is worth 3,500 dollars before the auction. Currently, a similar car on the vehicle purchase website Auto.Ria in Ukraine is already estimated at 12-14.5 thousand dollars. However, please remember that the price is indicated before the auction, after all procedures have been completed, it may increase several times.
“It is acceptable that at an auction the bid for a new car is 1.5 thousand dollars. The client bids for example 13 thousand dollars, including repairs. We estimate what is needed replace – say, two doors and a front fender, which can be easily replaced without serious damage to the body. We check prices for spare parts in Europe and Ukraine, plus delivery costs. maystrom, who will take care of it repairs,” respects Ivan Tovmasyan.
In other words, if a car, for example, costs 2,800 dollars, after repairs with discounts the price can add up to about 8 thousand dollars. Then the client will remove the remaining amount and, since everything is worth it, he can add a security deposit before the sale, which is 1,000 dollars, or not less than 10% of the sale price of the car at the auction. This is necessary to confirm the client’s intentions, and even the money is forfeited as a checkpoint before the trading hour.
“Repair, repairs and supplies depend on the output, engine volume and performance of the car. For example, for a BMW 555 2017 for 7,800 dollars with an engine volume of 3.5 liters, distribution and supplies become close to 4 650 dollars, and the payment to the Pension Fund is 400 dollars,” explains the expert.
After successful completion of the auction, the client pays for the car through the bank in his own name or in the name of the person for whom the car will be distributed. After payment, the receipts are removed and the security deposit is returned. Also, an agreement is established between the client and the company for the transportation of the car from the USA to Ukraine.
What time do you have to check for the car to arrive?
After payment, the car is picked up at the auction and transported to a US port. Here you can undergo consolidation (put it in a container) for further shipment to Ukraine. When transporting a vehicle, photographs and video recordings are taken several times to ensure that the vehicle was not damaged during transportation.
“If transportation is difficult, then it will remain in the state where the purchase is made. If you are near the coast, for example, New Jersey or Florida, transportation takes about 2 months. If you are in Texas or California, then delivery can take 3 months. If the car is from Hawaii, the delivery time can vary from 4 to 6 months,” says Ivan Tovmasyan.
Tovmasyan adds that due to the closure of the port of Odessa due to the war, the process of delivering cars became long and expensive. In your words, cars used to be delivered directly to Odessa, where they were picked up and transported by car carrier to the buyer. The whole procedure cost about 100 dollars. Delivery from Lithuania can cost from 600 to 2000 dollars.
“Carriers now insure the quality of the car: the more expensive the car, the more expensive the delivery will be. Right now, previously delivery from California to Odessa took 22-30 days, and now this process can take up to four months, depending on the logistics company and the availability of containers. Purchasing of Chinese companies before a new fate is pouring into logistics, leaving them to buy all the freight for shipping, which can lead to strong tramplings,” – supports him.
After arriving at the port of Lithuania, the car undergoes inspection and is delivered to the port in Ukraine. Here the car is checked by brokers, documents are submitted, and the client makes payment for the deposit to the bank. After this, your car can be picked up from the police station or delivered to the repair center.
Let’s remember what the rules are in Ukraine and how much you will have to overpay when buying a car on credit.
During the preparation of the material, the exclusive commentary of the StarCars company manager Ivan Tovmasyan was used, as well as data from the websites of UkrAvtoprom, StarCars, Columb Trade and Auto.Ria.