Today, vehicle updates are happening at an increasingly rapid pace, especially with the Chinese government actively promoting the development of new energy vehicles. A wide range of incentive policies have accelerated consumers' car replacement frequency, leading to rapid growth in the used car market. China’s used car market is characterized by a large inventory and affordable prices, making it an attractive choice for many buyers. For those with limited budgets, a used car with low mileage, no major issues, and high cost-performance is often a great option.
 

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However, the vast number of vehicles and inconsistent quality, combined with legal and tax complexities during transactions, make buying and selling a challenge with many potential pitfalls. As a result, the used car market is often seen as unreliable or “luck-based,” especially when it comes to importing used vehicles.
 

To help you navigate this, we’re sharing practical tips and key reminders for purchasing used cars from Chinese ports — providing valuable insights for your buying journey.
 

4 Reasons to Import a Car from China:

 

Before diving into the detailed process, let’s first explore why more and more consumers and dealers are choosing to import cars from China. Here are four key advantages:
 

1. Extremely Competitive Prices

 

Chinese cars are known for their excellent value. Prices are typically 20%–30% lower than comparable models from Europe or the U.S. For instance, a Toyota Corolla may cost around $13,000, while you can easily find similar configurations from BYD, AION, or Geely for under $9,000 — significantly reducing purchase costs.
 

In addition, our company provides used car offers on select models, and consultations are free. Feel free to contact us!
 

2. Proven Technology and Reliable Quality

 

Although Chinese cars once faced skepticism regarding reliability, this perception is rapidly changing. Brands such as BYD, Zeekr, Xiaomi, AITO, and Lixiang have earned global recognition thanks to advanced manufacturing processes and intelligent technologies. Their growing sales and strong customer feedback—along with numerous international awards—prove that Chinese car quality now meets global standards.
 

3. Industry-Leading Range and Charging Technology

 

Chinese automakers are leading the way in EV technology, especially in driving range and fast-charging capabilities. In April, BYD introduced the Han L and Tang L models equipped with megawatt-level fast-charging tech — claiming charging speeds comparable to gasoline refueling. This greatly eases range anxiety and charging delays.
 

More importantly, despite technological breakthroughs, prices remain stable. With high cost-effectiveness and advanced innovation, Chinese EVs are now overtaking global competitors. Whether importing a new vehicle or choosing a used car export, China remains the most cost-efficient option.
 

4. Streamlined Import Process and Favorable Policies

 

Although importing vehicles from China may seem complicated, in reality, China is one of the most convenient countries for automobile exports. As an export-driven economy, China prioritizes efficiency and service in its global trade. From policy support to logistics infrastructure, the process is often more streamlined and cost-effective than importing from Western countries.
 

In short, whether you're focused on price, quality, technology, or logistics, Chinese vehicles offer a compelling combination of advantages and are a trustworthy source for imports.

How to Import a Car from China in 8 Simple Steps:

 

Importing from China is not as complicated as it seems. Follow these 8 steps to bring home the vehicle you want:

 

1. Find a Trusted Car Supplier

 

The first step is finding a trustworthy car supplier. Before committing, conduct thorough market research and verify the company’s reputation and credentials. Once a reliable partner is identified, the import cars process becomes much smoother.
 

TOPEV is a dependable used auto sale partner in China. We can serve as your local supplier and handle all the heavy lifting. If you're planning a used car export, contact our sales team — we’ll take care of everything for you.
 

2. Choose a Vehicle and Negotiate the Price

 

Next, choose a car that fits your needs. If the price is high, you can negotiate. Be sure to check the mileage, damage history, part replacements, original paint status, and whether the car is allowed to be imported into your country.
 

At TOPEV, we handle used vehicle check with strict standards. We provide free official inspection reports, guaranteeing the accuracy of vehicle specifications and information. Our one-stop service removes the guesswork from the process.
 

3. Complete Registration, Inspection, and Compliance

 

Before leaving China, the vehicle must undergo local registration, quality inspection, and compliance certification to ensure it meets necessary standards and protects your rights as a buyer.
 

4. Obtain Import Permits and Customs Documents

 

Before starting the import process, you must apply for an import license and prepare the required customs documents, including:

• Bill of Lading
• Commercial Invoice
• Certificate of Origin
• Import License

These can be processed by yourself or through a professional import service agency.
 

5. Understand All Associated Costs

 

Importing a car involves various expenses. It's recommended to request a quote from your supplier and be aware of the following cost items:
 

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• Vehicle invoice price

• VAT or GST

• Modification costs (to meet local standards)

• Export service fees (within China)

• Shipping and insurance

• Customs, storage, and delivery fees in the destination country

• Registration and insurance costs
   

6. Choose the Right Logistics Partner

 

Logistics is crucial to ensure your vehicle arrives safely and on time. Choose an experienced and reputable logistics partner and finalize details like:
 

• Shipping method (RoRo, FCL, or shared container)

• Port of origin and destination

• Transit time

• Total cost
   

7. Customs Clearance and Import Duties

 

After the vehicle arrives at your local port, it must go through customs clearance. Authorities will verify the documents and calculate applicable import duties and taxes. The vehicle will also undergo compliance testing and a general inspection to ensure it’s not stolen and meets road safety standards.
 

8. Register the Vehicle Locally

 

Once the car is cleared by customs, it must be registered in your country. Although procedures vary by region, typical steps include:
 

• Submitting documents

• Passing a safety inspection

• Meeting emissions standards

• Purchasing insurance

• Paying registration and road taxes

  The company is the world’s best China New EV Car Manufacturers supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Hello Everyone,

My dad is the proud owner of a CC Coupe and I've had the chance to drive this car a lot. Absolutely love it, this engine is a masterpiece and I am maybe one of the few who love the F1/CC transmission (mainly for its brutality). It isn't great at low speeds, but drive a bit faster then it's a hoot. But the problem is that I moved to China so it's about time I get my own

I've seached around at what is available here, and considering the fact that the wife would prefer a 4 doors the closest available option is obviously the QP.
Nothing wrong with this as I'm fine with the quattroporte as well since it has the same powertrain, and it is vastly cheaper here than the Coupe. It's just 250 heavier but I guess I could live with this. Possibly even start a diet.

Anyway, the second hand market here is a bit shady and I'm doubtful about the fact that these cars have been well maintained. A vast majority has surely been very neglected as usually Chinese drivers see automobile as a consumable, they don't really maintain their cars all that well. Also, the mechanics here aren't exactly the best, I've seen some pretty scary stuff. I'm reasonably handy, I can repair pretty much anything and have lots of tools, so I plan to do all the maintenance myself, whenever possible. Also the second hand parts here seem cheap, so it shouldn't be as expensive as it would be in Europe. At least I hope so.

I would like some advice on what things are usually to be looked at when choosing a second hand quattroporte.
If you were to purchase one, what would you pay attention to in priority? what would be the most likely and most expensive parts to fail?
Is there a particular series/years to avoid?

For example on the coupe, stuff like the heater core, the electric window lifters, the AC or the control arms often seem to fail. What about the Quattroporte then?

One thing I cannot decide is the gearbox:
On one side, I love the CC/F1/Duoselect gearbox. I think it's pretty much perfect. But on the other hand, the clutch is a giant problem. Here in China there are a lot of red lights as they have virtually zero roundabouts, so it will be a lot of stop and starts from standstill, which will for sure put a lot of constraints on the clutch. I think I might be able to replace the clutch myself even though it's really a lot of work, but I'm not entirely certain about that since I've never done something like this.
The alternative is to get the ZF automated gearbox, but I fear that the driving experience will be very different as I absolutely hated every automatic gearboxes with torque converters I ever tried so far...
So in your opinion, how does this gearbox compares to the duoselect? Does it instantly react to the pallets input? Is there the same engine braking force as you get from the F1 transmission when downshifting? is it track worthy ? (I'd like to go to a track from time to time)

My head tells me to get the ZF but my heart really insists I should get the duoselect...
So here on this topic, well I'd like to get the opinion of people who had the opportunity to drive both transmissions and if possible even both cars (coupe and quattroporte). What quattroporte version would you chose and most importantly why?

Thanks in advance for your inputs! Welcome to the forum. Regarding your question on gearbox choice I would say it depends what type of driving you look to do. If it's a weekend car that you will using to head out for a blast, then the F1/DS is better in my view. But wouldn't be the best choice for commute in slow traffic.

With regards to what could go wrong,
the engines and gearboxes are actually quite robust when maintained correctly and in Europe /UK we see a lot of them with mileage well in the 6 digit.
The early cars are now 20yr and even the face-lifted later ones are now over 10yr old and need attention. So if you throw in questionable service history doesn't help

Some things that come to my mind:

>Subframe rusting
>Noise on engine start, could be the lubrication of variators
>Suspension work such as leaking absorbers and bushes
>Valve cap leak requiring new gasket
>Coolant hoses replacement
>Sticky brakes, May need calipers rebuild
>F1 system pump replace (for DS)
>Electric window regulators
>Check for engine misfire
>Lambda sensors
>Wheel hub with ABS sensor
>Roof lining in the interior

Out of curiosity how often do you come across these cars?
Do you know approximately how many were sold originally in China?

Your account to China reminds me of what people say about the US back in the 60s and 70s. You could get a lamborgini second hand for next to nothing but no one knew how to service them. What happened there people formed enthusiasts clubs and together sourced parts and expertise and ultimately saved some of the most beautiful cars and ended up owning quite a few. So if you can find a few more like minded people locally maybe you could start a club.

Some things that come to my mind:

>Subframe rusting
[...]
>Roof lining in the interior

Thanks a lot for this list, it helps

Out of curiosity how often do you come across these cars?

The old quattroporte, not very often. But the new Maseratis like the Ghibli or the Levante, I would say I'd see between 3 and 5 everyday, they're very common here.
Never seen an old Coupe in the streets yet, but seen a few Granturismo.

Do you know approximately how many were sold originally in China?

No Idea, sorry.

Your account to China reminds me of what people say about the US back in the 60s and 70s. You could get a lamborgini second hand for next to nothing but no one knew how to service them. What happened there people formed enthusiasts clubs and together sourced parts and expertise and ultimately saved some of the most beautiful cars and ended up owning quite a few. So if you can find a few more like minded people locally maybe you could start a club.

I bet there are a few garages who know their stuff, but I've lost confidence years ago when working on my motorcycles (the last straw was when some dude sprayed some WD40 on my front brake disc to stop it from making noise... Sure stopped the noise, but not the bike anymore!).
Nowadays the situation vastly improved and I'm sure there are some very competent mechanics, but still, I rather do it myself and make sure. Plus it's a lot of fun to learn to do it yourself So, I've checked a first car last weekend, unfortunately didn't buy it.

It was a Sport-GT made in with a duoselect gearbox and 147 000km on the odometer. The interior and exterior were both in really good condition aside from a few minor details (faded screen in the center of the instrument cluster, slow windows, a falling light and a few other minor details I could easily fix). Really nothing to worry there and every button and functions were working.
The exhausts muffler have been removed, so the car was insanely noisy. Very fun, but I would have put back the silencers immediately for sure.
Clutch replaced recently as well as the entire gearbox and gearbox ECU as the owner wanted the latest version. Weirdly enough, there was a transmission cooler on the gearbox, which to my knowledge at least, only seemed to exist on the oldest ones. So I'm not sure if the owner god fooled or it they added a cooler to a newer gearbox. I wasn't able to read the TCU version because some other sticker, probably from the scrapyard, was masking it.

The main problem was that the car was very jerky sometimes. The clutch seemed well tuned, at least the biting point was good as it was moving as soon as I touched the accelerator. But for some reason the car was jumping a bit and it was quite uncomfortable, especially when giving it a bit of gas, it wasn't very pronounced when feathering it. Never had this on the CC so there was definitely something wrong with it. Not sure if it was a transmission/clutch issue, a defective accelerator position sensor, a MAF problem or something else.
The engine sounded healthy, no cam variator sound at startup, it revved well, but now that I think about it the idle was a little bit wavy/inconsistent.

Also, the car felt a bit slow, I was expecting it to be more punchy. Maybe that's just the weight, I'm really not sure as it was my first time driving a QP.
In the end it didn't give me a good feeling so I didn't buy it. Too bad because the car itself was very pretty.

Anyway, this made me realize that it might be better to go for the automated transmission. There won't be anything to be tweak, no tricky and expensive clutch... Also here in China there are red lights everywhere, lots of traffic so it's a lot of stop and go, plus the duoselect isn't exacly great for underground parkings where you often need to start on inclines. It is also a lot easier to resale in case I ever need to.
So I guess I will need to compromise on the gearbox and go for an auto, despite my initial thoughs, it just makes more sense.

I'm gonna check another one soon, with a ZF this time, probably this weekend
Also considering the Granturismo, but the wife would like 4 doors so there's that.

So, I've checked a first car last weekend, unfortunately didn't buy it.

It was a Sport-GT made in with a duoselect gearbox and 147 000km on the odometer. The interior and exterior were both in really good condition aside from a few minor details (faded screen in the center of the instrument cluster, slow windows, a falling light and a few other minor details I could easily fix). Really nothing to worry there and every button and functions were working.
The exhausts muffler have been removed, so the car was insanely noisy. Very fun, but I would have put back the silencers immediately for sure.
Clutch replaced recently as well as the entire gearbox and gearbox ECU as the owner wanted the latest version. Weirdly enough, there was a transmission cooler on the gearbox, which to my knowledge at least, only seemed to exist on the oldest ones. So I'm not sure if the owner god fooled or it they added a cooler to a newer gearbox. I wasn't able to read the TCU version because some other sticker, probably from the scrapyard, was masking it.

The main problem was that the car was very jerky sometimes. The clutch seemed well tuned, at least the biting point was good as it was moving as soon as I touched the accelerator. But for some reason the car was jumping a bit and it was quite uncomfortable, especially when giving it a bit of gas, it wasn't very pronounced when feathering it. Never had this on the CC so there was definitely something wrong with it. Not sure if it was a transmission/clutch issue, a defective accelerator position sensor, a MAF problem or something else.
The engine sounded healthy, no cam variator sound at startup, it revved well, but now that I think about it the idle was a little bit wavy/inconsistent.

Also, the car felt a bit slow, I was expecting it to be more punchy. Maybe that's just the weight, I'm really not sure as it was my first time driving a QP.
In the end it didn't give me a good feeling so I didn't buy it. Too bad because the car itself was very pretty.

Anyway, this made me realize that it might be better to go for the automated transmission. There won't be anything to be tweak, no tricky and expensive clutch... Also here in China there are red lights everywhere, lots of traffic so it's a lot of stop and go, plus the duoselect isn't exacly great for underground parkings where you often need to start on inclines. It is also a lot easier to resale in case I ever need to.
So I guess I will need to compromise on the gearbox and go for an auto, despite my initial thoughs, it just makes more sense.

I'm gonna check another one soon, with a ZF this time, probably this weekend
Also considering the Granturismo, but the wife would like 4 doors so there's that.

sounds like you dodged the bullet with that one