Battery check before buying a used car

The battery is the most expensive part of an electric car, and neither the roadworthiness test nor the dashboard shows its condition.

Translated from Serbian. Where the exact wording matters, the Serbian original applies.

  • The roadworthiness test does not check the battery of an electric car
  • The battery warranty at most brands is 8 years or 160.000 km, with at least 70 % of capacity
  • AVILOO battery test in Belgrade: 12.000–15.000 RSD (prices from the services' websites, 25.10.2026)
  • Before buying, also check recalls for the model and year

What SOH is

SOH (state of health) is the battery's capacity today compared with a new one, in per cent. A car with 90 % SOH has about a tenth less range than when new.

For used cars, ADAC (20.10.2026) recommends at least:

  • 92 % at 50.000 km
  • 88 % at 100.000 km
  • 84 % at 150.000 km
  • 80 % at 200.000 km

The average capacity loss is about 2,3 % a year (Geotab, more than 22.700 vehicles, data for 2025). With little fast charging the loss is 1,5 % a year, and with frequent charging above 100 kW 3,0 %. Battery replacement is rare: outside the big recalls, fewer than 4 % of batteries have been replaced, and among 2022 and newer models 0,3 % (Recurrent). Both studies are mostly on vehicles from North America.

Battery warranty

Make High-voltage battery warranty Capacity
Renault 8 years or 160.000 km at least 70 %
Volkswagen 8 years or 160.000 km at least 70 % of net capacity
Toyota 8 years or 160.000 km; with a yearly check up to 10 years or 1.000.000 km at least 70 % up to 10 years
BMW 8 years and 160.000 km not stated
Porsche 8 years or 160.000 km at least 80 % up to 3 years or 60.000 km, then 70 %
Tesla (Europe) 8 years; 160.000–240.000 km, depending on the model at least 70 %
Hyundai 5 years, unlimited mileage not stated
Kia general warranty 7 years or 150.000 km battery terms are not on the website

Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BYD, MG and Dacia do not publish separate battery terms on their Serbian websites: ask the seller for the warranty booklet.

Details: terms and imported cars
  • Volkswagen: capacity is measured by an authorised VW service with diagnostic software; the warranty applies to cars bought from authorised Porsche SCG dealers in Serbia and Montenegro.
  • Hyundai: the warranty runs from the invoice date and requires regular servicing in the authorised network and a stamped service booklet; the booklet should be handed to the new owner.
  • Toyota: the Toyota Relax programme is tied to the chassis number and passes to the new owner, but only for European-spec vehicles registered in the Toyota Adria region.
  • Tesla: the warranty passes to the new owner when the change of ownership is done through Tesla. The warranty for the USA and Canada has different terms (in miles).
  • Imports from the USA, China or Korea: only Toyota and Volkswagen say clearly which vehicles the warranty in Serbia covers. For other brands, ask an authorised service by chassis number before buying.

Checks without a service

  • Tesla has a battery health test in the car: Controls > Service > Battery Health Test. The battery must be below 20 %, the car on an AC charger of at least 5 kW and connected to the internet. The test takes up to 24 hours and drains the battery below 10 %, so the seller usually runs it and shows the result. After some software updates the test is not available on all cars.
  • Nissan Leaf: the LeafSpy app with an OBD adapter shows SOH, capacity in Ah and the voltage difference between cells. At about 85 % SOH the Leaf loses the first bar on the capacity gauge on the dashboard.
  • Other models: general OBD apps, such as Car Scanner, show only what the car sends, and many cars do not send SOH.

The percentage the car itself shows is calculated by the manufacturer's software. AVILOO says it can differ significantly from the real condition, so a test with a device at a service is more reliable.

Test at a service

EV Clinic Beograd (Crnog Bora 10) does the AVILOO test: a device is plugged into the diagnostic port, the test takes a few minutes, and the result is a digital certificate with an estimate of battery health and a comparison with vehicles of the same model. Prices on the website (25.10.2026):

  • AVILOO battery test: 15.000 RSD
  • full pre-purchase inspection with the AVILOO test: 20.000 RSD
  • measured capacity test, by charging and discharging the battery, for vehicles AVILOO does not support: 40.000 RSD

The website does not say whether VAT is included, and support depends on the model and year and is checked by chassis number.

Mobilni mali servis (Belgrade) comes to the car: AVILOO test with a certificate 12.000 RSD, as a separate service; pre-purchase car inspection in Belgrade 6.000 RSD (website, 25.10.2026, VAT not stated).

Auto centar Elektra (Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 283a) tests batteries with diagnostics, and cell by cell when needed; the price is not published. Auto kuća Kole (Zemun) lists battery system diagnostics.

An authorised brand service reads the battery data with factory diagnostics, but no importer in Serbia publishes a battery test or certificate for used cars. The AVILOO home test (seven days of driving with the device) is not listed for Serbia.

All services that list a battery check: service map, Battery filter.

Battery recalls

Ask an authorised service whether the car is covered by a recall by its chassis number and whether the repair has been done. Examples:

  • VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7, ID. Buzz and Cupra Born: two recalls in the EU in 2026, for battery modules and cells; in October 2026, as a temporary measure, charging is limited to 80 %.
  • Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB (2021–2024): a short circuit in the battery can cause a fire; first a software update, then battery replacement.
  • Hyundai Kona Electric (2019–2020): risk of short circuit and fire; software and battery replacement where needed (NHTSA data for the USA).
  • Chevrolet Bolt (2017–2022): free replacement of battery modules (NHTSA, USA).
Details: recall numbers
  • VW: KBA 16271R and 16269R (March 2026, production 07.02.2022–23.08.2024) and KBA 17137R, 17101R, 17103R (October 2026, a permanent fix has not been set yet; Škoda is not affected). The source is electrive, citing the KBA.
  • Mercedes-Benz: KBA 14775R (2025, software, until then charging up to 80 % at most) and 16136R (2026, battery replacement). The source is ADAC, citing the KBA.
  • Hyundai Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric 2020: NHTSA 20V630 and 21V127.
  • Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV: NHTSA 21V560 and 21V650.
  • VW ID.4 2021 (USA): NHTSA 22V162 (module replacement) and 23V040 (software).

Roadworthiness test and import

The rulebook on vehicle roadworthiness tests (Sl. glasnik RS 31/2018, 70/2018 and 62/2022) does not mention the high-voltage battery, so the roadworthiness test gives no information about its condition. An imported used car goes through laboratory testing before registration (AMSS advises asking for the certificate while still at the dealer), but that does not mention the battery either. More on imports: import and customs.

Before you buy

  • SOH from a test at a service or from the Tesla test, not just the seller's estimate
  • Date of first registration, mileage and service booklet: the warranty depends on them
  • Where the car was bought new: this decides whether the warranty applies in Serbia
  • Recalls by chassis number

Book the test before paying a deposit, with the seller's agreement.

More on buying: used electric cars and services for electric cars.

Sources (30)

Updated 25.10.2026 · next check 15.01.2027 · Report an error

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