Selling a car after a failed inspection in Denmark

The four inspection outcomes

An inspection report in Denmark ends with one of four results. Godkendt means the car passed. Godkendt med anmærkninger means it passed, but the report notes wear you should attend to. Kan godkendes efter omsyn means the faults must be repaired and checked at a re-inspection. Ikke godkendt means the car failed and, for serious safety faults, may not be driven until it has been repaired and passed.

Look at the individual fault lines, not only the headline. Two worn tyres and a cracked brake hose are a small repair; corrosion in the sills or a rusted subframe is often the point at which repairing an older car stops making financial sense.

The 60-day re-inspection deadline

According to FDM, the Danish motorists' association, a re-inspection (omsyn) must be completed within 60 calendar days of the first inspection. Miss it and the car needs a full new periodic inspection, at full price, and the original deadline for the periodic inspection still applies. If you decide not to have the car re-inspected, the plates must be handed in.

Driving a car that has failed depends on what it failed on: a car with a defective brake system or a steering fault should not be on the road, while a car with a broken number-plate light can usually be driven to the workshop and back to the inspection centre. When in doubt, ask the inspector before you leave the hall.

Repair or sell? Do the sum properly

Ask a workshop for a written estimate covering every fault in the report, not just the obvious ones. Add the re-inspection fee and any parts the workshop flags as "likely next". Then compare the total with what the car would be worth after passing.

A rule of thumb that holds up for most cars over ten years old: if the repair estimate is more than a third of the car's value in passed condition, selling it as it stands usually leaves you better off. You avoid the repair bill, the days without a car, and the risk that the re-inspection finds something new.

If you sell, keep the inspection report. It is the honest description of the car's condition, and it is what we use to make you an offer.

Selling a car that has failed inspection to SellCar.dk

We buy cars that have failed inspection, including cars that may not be driven. Send us the registration number, the inspection result and a few photos through the form on our homepage, and tell us where the car is parked. We look up the inspection history in the Danish vehicle register ourselves, so you do not need to explain every line.

Collection is free anywhere in Denmark, and we collect on a transporter, so it does not matter whether the car is legal to drive. Payment is made at handover, and we register the ownership change or the deregistration ourselves. Call us in English on +45 42 47 51 52 if you would rather talk it through first.