See the car yourself, check its records and buy from a seller you can trust. A dashboard can show 30,000 km after the meter has been wound back, so compare the reading with the car's own history before you pay anything.
Go to: Where to buy · Check the mileage · Inspect the car · Loans, fines and accidents · Transfer and payment · New, rental or lease
Where to buy a used car
Each kind of seller gives you a different level of protection. This is what each one publishes:
| Where | Examples | What the seller publishes |
|---|---|---|
| Brand dealers' certified used cars | Toyota Certified Pre-Owned, Nissan Intelligent Choice | Toyota: a 99-point check, a warranty of at least 12 months or 30,000 km, guaranteed kilometres and a full service history. Nissan: a 167+ point inspection and a 12-month or 30,000 km warranty |
| Large used-car retailers | Al-Futtaim Automall | A 99-point check, at least one year of warranty and a 7-day money-back guarantee on private purchases, under its terms |
| Online companies selling their own cars | Cars24, Kavak | Cars24: a 150+ point inspection and a 30-day return on its certified cars. Kavak: a return within 7 days or 300 km, and a 3-month or 5,000 km warranty |
| Listing sites | dubizzle, YallaMotor | You buy from the person who posted the advert. dubizzle's terms say the purchase happens "without Dubizzle's involvement" |
| Managed private sales | CarSwitch SafeSwitch | A 200-point inspection, a free warranty for cars under 12 years old and under 200,000 km, and CarSwitch manages the RTA transfer |
| Car markets | Dubai Auto Market in Ras Al Khor, run by DP World, and Motor World in Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi | Many dealers in one place. Each sets its own terms, so get any warranty in writing |
| Auctions | Emirates Auction | Cars marked "AS IS" are sold "with all faults" and with no guarantee or warranty |
A dealer's warranty and return period make a mistake cheaper to fix. A private seller usually costs less, but every check below is then up to you. Whoever is selling, see the car yourself in daylight and buy from people you trust.
Check the mileage before you trust the dashboard
A digital odometer can be wound back. In February 2026, an Al Ain court cancelled a car sale after an authorised dealer found that a car advertised at 13,000 km had really covered 149,000 km. The seller had to refund AED 85,000 and pay AED 10,000 in compensation.
Your best defence is the car's own history:
- Line up every recorded reading by date. Ask for the past test certificates, the dealer's service invoices and any service stickers. The readings should only go up, by a believable amount each year. A reading lower than an earlier one, or a year with almost no kilometres, needs an explanation before you go any further.
- In Dubai, ask the seller for RTA's vehicle report. The Technical Vehicle Status Report costs AED 120 and arrives within one working day. The owner applies for it and must agree to share the car's data. It covers the ownership history and insurance validity, and the owner can request the detailed inspection record of a car first inspected in Dubai. RTA states that the report does not include accidents and may not include every record, such as odometer readings, so use it alongside the papers above.
- Ask the brand's service centre for the service history. Mileage is recorded at each dealer service, and Toyota's UAE warranty page says its team will clarify your car's care history. Go with the seller or ask for a printout, then add those readings to your list.
- Compare the wear with the reading. Pedal pads worn smooth, a shiny steering wheel or a cracked, flattened driver's seat on a car showing low kilometres are the warning signs named in CarSwitch's 2026 inspection checklist.
If you own a car, never touch its meter. Winding back a reading to sell a car for more can be prosecuted as fraud. Article 451 of the UAE Crimes and Penalties Law punishes anyone who uses a fraudulent practice to take another person's property with imprisonment or a fine, and the buyer can also ask a court to cancel the sale, as in the Al Ain case.
Have the car inspected before you pay
RTA itself recommends having a used car checked by an authorised inspection centre, an authorised dealer or an independent inspector, and taking it for a test drive before you decide.
- In Abu Dhabi: ADNOC's vehicle inspection centres offer a 53-point comprehensive test before or after you buy a used car, including the paint depth on each panel, for AED 350 at selected centres.
- Wherever the car is: mobile inspectors such as InspectMotors come to the car in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi, from AED 299 including VAT for a 120-point check, or AED 399 for 480 points with paint-thickness measurement.
Paint thickness shows which panels were repainted after a repair. Look under the carpets and seats too: the same CarSwitch checklist names dried mud lines, silt or waterlines as signs of flood damage.
Drive it in traffic and on a fast road, listen for knocks and check that the air conditioning blows cold. Walk away from any seller who will not allow an inspection.
Bank loans, fines, imports and accidents
- A bank loan on the car. In Dubai, the vehicle licence, also called the ownership e-card, shows any mortgage on the car, and RTA will not transfer a mortgaged car until the loan is released. In Abu Dhabi, TAMM requires the mortgage to be paid off before the transfer. Ask to see the licence before you agree a price.
- Traffic fines. In Dubai, the seller must pay all traffic fines, from Dubai and the other emirates, before the transfer goes through.
- Imported cars. If the customs card shows that a car does not meet Gulf specifications, RTA asks for a conformity document from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. RTA's vehicle report adds information on cars imported from Japan, Europe and the United States for an extra fee.
- Accidents. RTA's report does not cover accidents. In Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Police's View Vehicle Accident History service on TAMM shows the record after you sign in with UAE PASS. Anywhere, an inspection can reveal repainted panels and repairs.
Transfer and payment
| Step | Dubai (RTA) | Abu Dhabi (TAMM) |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts it | The seller, on the RTA website, the RTA Dubai app or Dubai Now | The seller, on TAMM with UAE PASS or at a service centre |
| How the buyer confirms | Signs the online sale agreement sent by SMS and email, valid for 14 days | Gives the seller the code sent to the buyer's phone |
| Cleared first | The seller pays the fines and releases any loan; the buyer arranges insurance and the technical inspection | The loan paid off and any restrictions cleared |
| Fee for a private light vehicle | AED 350, plus AED 35 or 50 for plates, AED 50 for the sale agreement and AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation charges | AED 350 |
Sources: RTA, Change a Vehicle Ownership and TAMM, Transfer Vehicle Ownership.
Never send a deposit for a car you have not seen. Pay by bank transfer when the transfer is being signed, so the payment can be traced. If you are the seller, Abu Dhabi Police warn (in Arabic) of buyers who show forged or post-dated payment receipts: hand over the car only after the money has actually reached your account.
New, rental or lease, briefly
If a used car does not suit you, compare these starting points before you choose:
| Option | Starting point | Add |
|---|---|---|
| New car, cash | Toyota UAE lists the 2026 Yaris 1.5 sedan from AED 64,900. In Dubai, registration is AED 400 plus AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation charges | Plates and insurance |
| New car, bank finance | FAB lends up to 80% of the car's value; expatriates with a salary transfer and no FAB credit card pay 3.24% flat a year | Down payment, fees and comprehensive insurance |
| Monthly rental | Hertz UAE shows a Toyota Corolla or similar from AED 1,299 a month | Deposit, mileage limit, tolls and fuel |
For a personal lease, get a written quote that names the car, term, deposit, mileage, insurance, service and the cost of ending early.
Whatever you drive, Special 95 costs AED 4.28 a litre in October 2026, as published by WAM (in Arabic). Add Salik in Dubai, Darb in Abu Dhabi and parking for the roads you use. For a whole household budget, see the Dubai and Abu Dhabi cost-of-living guides.
Official sources checked on 3 October 2026. Cover generated with AI for illustration.
