BOVAG is the trade association for car businesses in the Netherlands, such as car dealers and garages. Together with RDC, BOVAG also publishes market figures: in 2025, a record 2,124,429 used passenger cars were sold in the Netherlands, 65.2% of them by car businesses.
Why it matters when buying or selling
- Disputes: if you buy a car as a private person from a BOVAG business and you cannot resolve a problem together, you can use the free BOVAG mediation service (BOVAG Bemiddeling). If that fails, you can go to the Vehicle Disputes Committee, which gives a binding ruling.
- Warranty comes on top: a dealer warranty is added to your statutory rights in a consumer sale, such as the 1-year presumption of a defect. It does not replace them.
- Private sale: buy from a private seller and you have no BOVAG protection; as the buyer you must prove a defect already existed.
- Check membership: if you see a BOVAG logo, check that the business really is a member. On Sell Your Car, the dealer profile shows whether a business is affiliated with BOVAG.