Selling a Car With or Without MFK? The Honest Calculation

The notice from the cantonal road traffic office has arrived – and at the same time you are thinking about selling the car. Should you still invest in the MFK (Swiss roadworthiness test), or sell right away? In Switzerland this question often decides several hundred francs. Here is the sober calculation.

What the MFK really costs in Switzerland

The official fee is only a small part. Depending on the canton, the inspection itself costs around CHF 50 to 200. In practice, you also have to add:

• Pre-check at a garage: CHF 100–250
• Typical repairs (brakes, tyres, shock absorbers, exhaust, rust on structural parts): CHF 400–2,500
• Re-inspection if defects are found: CHF 30–100
• Your time: appointments, trips there and back, possibly a rental car

With a ten-year-old mid-range car you quickly end up with a total of CHF 800 to 1,500 before the vehicle passes cleanly.

Deadlines: when the MFK is actually due

Since the 2024 revision, new passenger cars are tested for the first time after five years, then after another three years, and every two years thereafter. The notice comes from the road traffic office of your canton of residence, usually with a deadline of a few weeks to months. Important: if you sell or deregister the vehicle in the meantime, you do not have to take the test yourself – the obligation follows the vehicle, not the person.

A real-world example

The pattern is clear: the premium for a car sold "with fresh MFK" is usually CHF 800 to 1,500 on older used cars. That is exactly the range of the costs – the profit evaporates, and you carry the entire risk.

When the MFK pays off before selling

Rather yes, if …

• the car is young (up to roughly 6 years) and will almost certainly pass without defects,
• you are selling privately to a private buyer who expects a tested vehicle,
• the last inspection was recent and only one minor defect is pending,
• the car is expensive – on a vehicle above CHF 25,000 the fee barely matters.

Rather no, if …

• rust, clutch, exhaust or suspension are already known weak points,
• the car is older than eight to ten years,
• the current market value is below roughly CHF 5,000,
• you are selling to a professional buyer – they handle the inspection internally and far more cheaply.

"With fresh MFK" in the ad: watch your liability

Anyone who writes "ab MFK" in a listing commits to handing over a tested vehicle. If it fails, you must repair it or reduce the price. So be precise: "last MFK 03/2023" is a fact, "ab MFK" is a promise. If you sell without an inspection, the contract must state that the vehicle is sold untested and with all warranties excluded.

The third option: sell without MFK

Many Swiss used cars with a pending inspection go to export or to dealers with their own workshop. There, repairs are done at purchase prices – what costs you CHF 1,200 costs the professional CHF 500. That is exactly why a direct sale without MFK often nets you as much or more than the tedious route via garage, re-inspection and private listing.

Sell the easy way with auto24ankauf.ch

We buy vehicles of all brands from model year 2002 onwards – with or without a valid MFK, with defects or with an active leasing contract. You receive a free valuation, we collect the car anywhere in Switzerland free of charge, pay cash immediately and, on request, take over the remaining leasing debt as well as the deregistration. Our team in Winterthur is available Monday to Sunday, 08:00–22:30 – request your non-binding offer before you spend money on the next inspection.