The ADAC Second-hand Car Sales Contract is the legal standard for private vehicle transactions in Germany. It covers all key aspects of a used car sale, including vehicle description, agreed purchase price, and declarations by both the seller and buyer. Only the German-language version is legally binding. The English translation is provided for reference only. The contract implements warranty provisions under the 2002 amendments, specifying when warranty exclusions are and are not valid under German law.
Sellers must disclose all known defects in writing and complete the vehicle condition declaration accurately. ADAC recommends an independent vehicle inspection to document the car's condition before the sale. Payment in full is required before or at the time of vehicle handover to avoid payment disputes. All required sales notification forms must be submitted to the local authorities. The vehicle registration certificate and insurance documents must be transferred correctly to the buyer. For transactions involving installment payments, a car sale loan agreement can be used alongside this contract.
Buyers should conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle and verify that the vehicle identification number (VIN) matches the registration certificate. Insurance cover must be arranged and transferred before driving the vehicle away. After purchase, buyers need to re-register the vehicle with the local registration authority. For additional documentation in private vehicle sales, a used car agreement form may also apply. Both parties must sign the contract to make it legally binding.
Yes. The ADAC car sales contract is valid and enforceable under German law when both parties sign the German version. Invalid warranty exclusions include any clause that conflicts with the 2002 statutory warranty amendments. If either party has doubts about a clause, consulting a German legal advisor or ADAC member services is recommended before finalizing the sale.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form Name | ADAC Contract of Sale Form |
| Form Length | 4 pages |
| Fillable? | No |
| Fillable fields | 0 |
| Avg. time to fill out | 1 min |
| Jurisdiction | Germany (private vehicle sales) |
| Language | German (legally binding) and English (reference) |
| Other names | car sale contract Germany, ADAC Kaufvertrag, second-hand car sales agreement, used car sale contract |