How Brexit Has Changed Car Prices in Ireland
Brexit really shook up the Irish car market by bringing in new import duties and VAT on UK vehicles. Second-hand car registrations dropped by two-thirds once all the rules changed.
Overview of Pre- and Post-Brexit Car Pricing
Back in 2018, Ireland brought in about 100,000 used cars each year from the UK. We depended on that steady stream of right-hand drive cars, and it worked out well for most buyers.
But after Brexit, everything changed. Used car prices in Ireland are still about 85% higher than before 2020, which is way more than the price hikes seen in the UK.
This is the biggest gap between our markets in decades. The new regulations set up instant cost barriers.
Before, moving cars from the UK to Ireland was pretty straightforward. You barely needed paperwork, and there were no extra taxes for eligible vehicles.
Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives, puts it bluntly: “Brexit created a perfect storm for Irish car buyers, with import costs rising just as global supply chains faced unprecedented disruption.”
Supply chain chaos and Brexit rules pushed prices out of reach for many. The shock hit every part of the Irish car market.
Cost Breakdown: Import Duties, VAT, and VRT
Brexit brought in some hefty new costs for anyone importing cars from the UK to Ireland:
New Brexit Import Costs:
- VAT: 23% on the car’s value
- Import Duty: Up to 10%, depending on the car
- VRT: Vehicle Registration Tax, same as before
- Admin fees: More paperwork, more hassle
These charges get calculated on the current market value, not the price you paid. So, a £15,000 car from the UK could rack up over €4,000 in extra charges before you even register it in Ireland.
Before Brexit, qualifying used cars from the UK came in with barely any extra cost. The rules treated them almost like local sales.
Now, importing cars from the UK feels like bringing them in from any non-EU country. The paperwork alone has gotten a lot heavier, and every transaction takes more time and money.
A lot of smaller importers just couldn’t keep up with the new expenses. Fewer importers means less choice and higher prices for Irish buyers.
Impact on Second-Hand Cars
Second-hand car imports from the UK hit a record 100,000 cars in 2018. But after Brexit, that number sank by over 60% in just two years.
Suddenly, there weren’t enough cars to go around. Popular family cars that once had plenty of options became scarce and much pricier.
Market Changes:
- Waiting lists for common models stretched from weeks to months
- Price premiums of 20-30% became normal for in-demand cars
- Older cars held their value way longer than usual
Used car prices in Ireland went up by 7.9% in the first three months of this year. That’s ten quarters in a row of rising prices, all thanks to Brexit’s shake-up.
Northern Ireland cars are now one of the few cheaper ways to import. The Second-Hand Motor Vehicle Payment Scheme (SHMVPS) gives a bit of relief for those deals.
The shortage didn’t just affect imports. Irish dealerships started getting fewer trade-ins as people put off upgrading, scared off by the cost of replacing their cars.
Changes in Car Import Regulations After Brexit
Brexit completely changed how cars move between the UK and Ireland. Irish buyers now have to pay over €4,000 in VAT alone on a €20,000 car from Britain.
The Irish car market has to work with a tangle of new rules, and Northern Ireland gets treated differently from the rest of the UK.
UK to Ireland Import Rules
Since January 2021, anyone importing a car from Great Britain has to fill out customs forms and pay a stack of charges. The UK became a “third country” under EU rules, which means VAT on second-hand cars for the first time.
What you pay when importing from Britain:
- VAT (23%)
- Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT)
- Customs duty (if it applies)
The rule of origin provision can help a bit. If 60% of the car’s value comes from the UK, you might avoid customs duty. This mostly helps with cars actually built in Britain.
Revenue says every car from Great Britain needs customs paperwork. You have to declare the car’s value, age, and origin before it crosses the border.
Ciaran Connolly sums up the new reality: “The additional costs have fundamentally changed the economics of importing from Britain, making many previously affordable vehicles unviable for Irish buyers.”
Northern Ireland Differences
Northern Ireland plays by different rules because of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Cars from the North don’t need customs forms or extra VAT.
This sets up a two-tier system. Identical cars can cost thousands less if you buy in Belfast instead of Birmingham.
Northern Ireland stays in the EU Customs Territory, so it keeps the old trading rules with the Republic.
Key differences:
- From Northern Ireland: No VAT, no customs forms, just VRT
- From Britain: VAT, customs duty, VRT, and lots of paperwork
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry doesn’t think Northern Ireland will become a “back door” for British cars. Second-hand cars going from Britain to Northern Ireland still get hit with VAT, so the loophole is closed.
Dealers in Northern Ireland have their own headaches, though. They now pay VAT on cars they bring in from Britain to resell.
Returned Goods Relief and VAT Qualification
Returned Goods Relief lets you skip some charges in rare cases, but it hardly ever applies to regular car imports. It’s mostly for goods that left Ireland and come back within three years.
Whether you pay VAT depends on who’s selling and the car’s history. Private sales from Britain always get hit with VAT, while some business-to-business deals might get relief.
Possible VAT exemptions:
- Cars under three years old with a valid UK VAT receipt (not common)
- Cars under margin schemes
- Certain dealer-to-dealer transactions
Northern Ireland dealers can claim VAT relief if they buy from VAT-registered companies like car hire or fleet operators. That helps them stay afloat, even with the new costs.
Revenue looks at VAT relief claims one at a time. Most private buyers bringing in cars from Britain can’t get out of paying the full 23% VAT on the Irish market value.
Second-Hand Car Market: Brexit’s Influence
Brexit turned Ireland’s used car market on its head. Second-hand car registrations crashed from 120,000 to just 40,000 a year.
New import duties, VAT, and supply chain chaos created a mess that changed how Irish people buy pre-owned cars.
Supply Shortages and Pricing Trends
The numbers really speak for themselves. Before Brexit, Ireland brought in around 115,000 used cars from Britain every year.
In 2021, that dropped to 65,000. Things got even tighter in 2022, with just 34,000 used cars registered by November.
Price Impact on Irish Motorists:
| Period | Average Price Increase |
|---|---|
| Pre-Brexit | Baseline |
| 2020-2025 | 85% higher than 2020 levels |
| Q2-Q3 2021 | 10.6% quarterly increase |
Used car prices in Ireland are still about 85% higher than before 2020. That’s the biggest jump since anyone started tracking this stuff in 2011.
Ciaran Connolly says, “Brexit created an artificial scarcity in Ireland’s second-hand market that pushed a typical three-year-old Golf from €18,000 to over €25,000 within two years.”
The supply of second-hand cars has dropped a lot because of Brexit, so demand for what’s left is through the roof. A Volkswagen Golf now costs about 9% more than it did in 2020.
Dealers’ Challenges Sourcing Used Cars
Irish car dealers are having a tough time finding stock from their usual UK sources. Brexit made importing cars from Britain a lot more expensive, and many dealers are rethinking how they do business.
Now, they face extra VAT, import duties, and paperwork that just didn’t exist before. There used to be “nearly a single market within a single market” between Ireland and Britain, making it all pretty easy.
New Costs for Dealers:
- VAT hikes on UK imports
- Import duties that weren’t there before
- More admin costs for customs
- Longer delivery times that mess with cash flow
A lot of dealerships are struggling to stay afloat as experts call it a “car crisis.” New car shortages and pricey UK imports have squeezed profit margins hard.
Smaller independent dealers feel it the most. They used to depend on cheap UK stock for buyers on a budget.
Some dealers are now looking to other EU countries, but those cars usually cost more and take longer to arrive.
The Role of Imports in Second-Hand Supply
Ireland relied so much on UK imports for used cars that Brexit’s impact feels almost existential. Most of the 120,000 used cars registered each year before Brexit came straight from the UK.
Brexit broke that supply chain overnight. When the transition period ended in 2021, Britain left the Customs Union and Single Market, and the decline was instant.
Import Pattern Changes:
| Source Market | Pre-Brexit Share | Current Share |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ~85% | ~30% |
| Other EU States | ~10% | ~45% |
| Domestic Supply | ~5% | ~25% |
Now, Irish buyers are fighting over a much smaller pool of cars. The shortage hits popular family cars and executive saloons the hardest—cars we used to find easily from UK dealers.
Some of the gap gets filled by cars from continental Europe. But these imports often cost more and don’t always fit Irish preferences for right-hand-drive and familiar specs.
Dealers are still figuring things out, and some are building new relationships with European suppliers. That takes time and, honestly, usually means higher prices for everyone.
New Car Prices in Ireland Since Brexit
Brexit really shook up how car manufacturers send vehicles to Ireland. Supply bottlenecks and long waits became the new normal, so prices for new cars shot up and dealerships started running out of options.
Manufacturer Supply Issues
After Brexit, car manufacturers changed their priorities. Ireland lost out to bigger markets overnight.
Manufacturers now see the UK as a better bet because of lower taxes and a stronger pound. Irish dealers get stuck with fewer cars to sell.
The numbers don’t lie. Before Brexit, Ireland got about 225,000 new and used vehicles a year. Now, it’s around 160,000—so that’s a shortfall of 120,000 cars in just two years.
Irish new car prices increased 8-12% year-on-year in 2024, while the UK only saw a 3-5% bump. That gap really shows how Ireland lost its place in the pecking order.
Right-hand drive production is a headache too. There’s only so much capacity for these cars, and the UK’s bigger market always gets first dibs.
Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives, puts it bluntly: “Irish dealers face a €6,500 tax disadvantage per vehicle compared to the UK, making our market less competitive for manufacturers with limited allocation.”
Key manufacturer challenges:
- Lower allocation for Ireland
- Higher taxes
- Worries about currency swings
- Smaller market size
Increased Waiting Times for New Cars
Waiting for a new car in Ireland now takes way longer than it used to. Buyers who once waited 6-8 weeks might now wait 3-6 months for a popular model.
Premium brands are the worst for delays. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi send cars to the UK first, so Irish customers just have to hang on.
The global chip shortage made things even tougher. Manufacturers send their limited chips to the biggest markets, so Ireland falls behind the UK in the queue.
If you want a special order—say, a certain colour or extra features—you could be waiting 8-12 months. Before Brexit, it was more like 3-4 months.
Current delivery timeframes:
- Budget models: 2-4 months
- Family cars: 3-5 months
- Premium vehicles: 4-8 months
- Special orders: 6-12 months
With these long waits, a lot of buyers just grab whatever’s in stock. That means less bargaining power and fewer choices.
Pre-registered demonstrator models are suddenly in demand. People want to skip the wait, but these cars usually cost more because you can drive them away right now.
Brexit Versus Other Market Forces
Brexit put a lot of pressure on Irish car prices, but it wasn’t the only thing in play. The COVID-19 pandemic and the global chip shortage also made a mess of pricing and availability. It’s a tangled web, honestly.
Comparing Brexit and COVID-19 Pandemic Effects
COVID-19 brought its own set of problems for the Irish car market. Brexit mostly hit import costs and trade with the UK, but the pandemic messed with manufacturing and how people bought cars.
During 2020 and 2021, lockdowns cut new car sales in Ireland by about 25%. That’s different from Brexit’s impact on used car supply, which mainly hit imports and cross-border deals.
Brexit made long-term changes to car pricing. Import duties on UK vehicles without the right paperwork now tack on big costs.
The pandemic, on the other hand, caused supply chains to seize up, but those problems were mostly temporary.
Key differences:
- Brexit: Changed trade rules for good
- Pandemic: Short-term factory shutdowns
- Brexit: Raised import costs from the UK
- Pandemic: Lowered overall car production
Ciaran Connolly sums it up: “Brexit fundamentally changed the cost structure of importing cars from the UK, whilst the pandemic created temporary supply constraints that affected all vehicle sources.”
Brexit and the Global Semiconductor Shortage
The chip shortage hit new car production everywhere, but it pushed Irish buyers toward used vehicles. It’s a different beast from Brexit’s import headaches.
This chip shortage started in 2020 and dragged on through 2023. New car deliveries in Ireland dropped by 15-20%.
Meanwhile, Brexit specifically messed up UK imports and changed how cars get priced when they cross the Irish Sea.
Brexit’s “rule of origin” provisions require 60% of a car’s value to come from the UK if you want to dodge customs duties. The chip shortage didn’t care about where your car came from—it affected everyone.
The chip crisis nudged more people into the used car market, including UK imports. That extra demand hit at the same time as Brexit-related price hikes, so buyers felt the squeeze from both sides.
Both issues cut down the number of cars available, but for totally different reasons—Brexit through red tape, and the chip shortage through lack of production.
VAT, Customs Duty, and Vehicle Registration Tax Explained
If you’re importing a car from the UK to Ireland after Brexit, you’ll run into three main taxes: VAT at 23% for most vehicles, a 10% customs duty for non-EU cars, and Ireland’s Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), which depends on CO2 emissions and the type of car.
How VAT Affects Imported Cars
When importing a car from Great Britain to Ireland, VAT rules depend on whether the car is new or used. A car is “new” if it’s under six months old or has driven less than 6,000 kilometres.
New vehicles from Great Britain get hit with Irish VAT at 23% of the price. You usually pay this VAT along with VRT when you register the car.
Used vehicles that are older or have more mileage might still bring VAT charges, depending on who sells it. If you buy from a VAT-registered UK dealer, expect to pay the 23% Irish VAT.
Here’s the math: If your imported car costs €20,000, you’ll owe €4,600 in VAT. That’s calculated on the car’s value plus any transport and insurance costs.
Ciaran Connolly says, “Brexit has fundamentally changed how VAT applies to car imports, with many buyers caught off-guard by the additional 23% cost on top of purchase price and VRT.”
Customs Duties Post-Brexit
Since Brexit, customs duties now hit cars from Great Britain that don’t meet EU origin rules. The standard rate is 10% of the car’s value.
Cars made in Great Britain or other non-EU countries get charged this duty. But if the car was built in the EU and sold through the UK, you might dodge the duty—if you have the right paperwork.
Customs duty rates:
- Standard cars: 10%
- Classic cars (over 30 years): 0%
- Electric vehicles: 10% (same as petrol/diesel)
You have to fill out a customs declaration when importing from Great Britain. That’s a new step since the UK left the EU customs union.
The duty is based on the car’s invoice value plus shipping. For a €25,000 car, customs duty adds €2,500.
VRT for Various Vehicle Types
Vehicle Registration Tax depends on CO2 emissions, engine size, and the car’s category. Every imported car gets hit with this tax, no matter where it’s from.
VRT rates by category:
- Category A (lowest emissions): 14% of OMSP
- Category B (medium emissions): 16% of OMSP
- Category C (highest emissions): 36% of OMSP
Revenue bases the tax on the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), not what you paid. They use their own standard values.
Electric vehicles get up to €5,000 off their VRT, which helps a lot. Hybrids get smaller discounts based on how far they can run on electricity alone.
Commercial vehicles under 3,500kg pay VRT at 13.3%, no matter the emissions. Anything heavier is exempt from VRT.
Classic cars over 30 years old only pay €200 in VRT, which makes them a bargain for vintage fans.
Sourcing Alternatives: Imports from Japan and Europe
Irish buyers and dealers have started looking elsewhere since Brexit made UK imports tricky. Japanese car imports have exploded, while other European markets haven’t really caught on.
Growth in Japanese Car Imports
The numbers are wild. Japanese imports shot up almost tenfold from 2,321 cars in 2014 to 21,716 in 2023.
UK imports, meanwhile, dropped from 44,939 to just 14,904. By 2023, Ireland brought in twice as many used cars from Japan as from the UK.
The change happened fast after Brexit. Between 2020 and 2022, Japanese imports nearly doubled each year—from 4,575 to 9,805 to 18,524.
Why Japanese imports are popular:
- Cheaper prices thanks to strong depreciation
- Well-maintained, high-quality cars
- Advanced tech and better fuel economy
- No Brexit paperwork or tariffs
Most Japanese imports are between 6 and 10 years old. About 73% run on petrol, and 22.8% are petrol-electric hybrids.
Surprisingly, European brands top the list for Japanese imports. Volkswagen leads with the Golf and Polo, then comes the Audi A3.
Ciaran Connolly points out, “Japanese imports offer Irish buyers a way to access quality European cars without Brexit complications.”
Challenges with Other European Markets
Imports from continental Europe haven’t really plugged the gap left by the UK. A bunch of obstacles get in the way.
Distance and logistics make things expensive. Shipping from Germany or France takes longer and costs more than the quick UK trip.
Left-hand drive cars from most of Europe just don’t work for Irish roads. That limits choices to right-hand drive markets like the UK, Japan, or Australia.
Lack of market knowledge is a problem too. Irish dealers know UK specs and histories inside-out, but European vehicles are a different story.
Currency swings with the euro can mess up price planning. Sure, it’s not as unpredictable as Brexit, but it’s still a headache.
Compliance rules vary by country. Each European market has its own standards, so you need to know the ropes to import successfully.
At the end of the day, most Irish importers stick with Japan because it’s just easier and makes more sense.
Impact on Car Dealers and Retailers
Brexit changed the game for Irish car dealers. Many had to rethink their whole business model.
Dealers now struggle with stock shortages and shrinking profit margins. Buyers have also shifted away from UK imports for good.
Stock Shortages and Reduced Profit Margins
Irish dealers used to bring in about 100,000 used cars every year from the UK. That huge number basically kept their used car business running.
Since Brexit, these imports have dropped by roughly half. Customs changes, VRT tweaks, and currency swings have made sourcing cars from the UK a real headache—and a lot pricier.
Dealers now struggle to keep enough cars on their lots. At the same time, they watch their profit margins shrink with every sale.
“Irish dealers are now paying 15-20% more for UK stock after factoring in new administrative costs and currency fluctuations, but they cannot pass all these increases to customers,” says Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives.
A lot of smaller dealerships just gave up on UK imports altogether. Now they’re all fighting over a limited pool of Irish cars, which only pushes prices up at the wholesale level.
Dealers are dealing with:
- Less variety and fewer cars to sell
- Higher wholesale prices
- More paperwork and admin
- Currency risks that can sting
- Longer waits for deliveries
Changes in Buying Patterns
Since Brexit, buyers have gotten a lot more cautious. Irish customers now hesitate to buy UK imports, mostly because of the extra hassle and costs.
Dealers say customers ask way more questions about a car’s history and paperwork before they’ll even think about buying. What used to be a straightforward UK import now needs a ton of explanation and reassurance.
People are leaning toward slightly older Irish cars instead of newer UK imports. They worry about warranty headaches and future servicing problems.
The old UK dealer and auction networks don’t cut it anymore, so dealers have started building new relationships in mainland Europe.
Dealers are also shifting their focus to electric and hybrid cars, since government grants help make up for the higher prices. But this means learning new tech and sorting out charging partnerships.
Some dealers have gotten creative and started working directly with Northern Ireland suppliers. That lets them sidestep some Brexit headaches and keep prices competitive.
Effects on Irish Car Market Structure
Brexit has really shaken up how Irish buyers shop for cars. UK imports have dropped, and buyers now look for homegrown options instead. Costs keep climbing, so both buyers and dealers are rethinking their approaches.
Shifts in Buyer Preferences
Brexit changed what Irish car buyers want. Before 2020, nearly 100,000 used cars came in from the UK every year. Once Brexit hit with VAT and import duties, second-hand car imports from the UK fell by 26% in early 2020 compared to the year before.
Irish buyers started looking for:
- Irish stock instead of UK imports
- Newer, Irish-registered cars to dodge import hassles
- Lower-mileage vehicles because the supply squeeze pushed up prices
- Electric cars with government incentives to help offset costs
“The shift away from UK imports meant Irish buyers had to completely rethink their purchasing strategies, often accepting higher prices for domestic alternatives,” says Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives.
People aren’t just worried about price. Brexit made buyers nervous about complicated imports, paperwork delays, and surprise charges.
Market Reaction to Rising Prices
The Irish car market saw prices explode after Brexit. Second-hand car prices shot up 64% above pre-COVID levels by mid-2022, and the whole market had to adjust.
Dealers responded by:
- Cutting back on inventory to protect cash flow
- Focusing on cars with better margins
- Offering longer finance terms to keep things affordable
- Building partnerships in Northern Ireland for imports
Buyers adapted by:
- Holding onto their cars longer—sometimes 2-3 years more than before
- Spending more on maintenance to stretch out the life of their vehicles
- Heading north to shop in Northern Ireland for better prices
- Turning to private sales since dealer prices got out of reach
The market moved from loads of cheap sales to fewer, pricier ones. Smaller dealers had a rough time, while bigger groups with more ways to make money managed to ride it out.
Long-Term Consequences for Car Prices in Ireland
Brexit has changed Ireland’s car market for good. Higher import costs and supply chain issues have set a new, higher price baseline. Honestly, I don’t see prices settling back down any time soon, especially with regulations still shifting.
Predictions for Price Stability
I really doubt Irish car prices will drop back to where they were before Brexit. Used car prices are now almost 50% higher than before the pandemic and Brexit, and that’s just the new normal.
The extra costs for UK imports are here to stay. UK cars now get hit with a 10% customs duty plus 23% VAT. That can add around €6,000 to a €15,000 car.
People have started looking to Japan and other places for better deals, since those prices sometimes beat the UK even after duties. Electric and hybrid cars are more appealing now too, thanks to lower VRT rates—even if the sticker price is higher.
“Brexit has fundamentally altered the cost equation for Irish car buyers, with additional fees now representing 20-30% of a vehicle’s value,” says Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives.
Japanese imports are booming. Small automatics from Japan can cost less than similar UK cars, even after all the taxes.
Potential Future Regulatory Changes
Regulations keep changing as Ireland figures out Brexit. The Second-Hand Motor Vehicle Payment Scheme (SHMVPS), which started in May 2023, lets VAT-registered dealers in Northern Ireland claim back UK VAT—but Irish VAT at 23% still applies.
If VRT rules change again, prices could shift. The emissions-based system right now helps electric and hybrid cars but hits sports cars and big engines hard.
Northern Ireland’s rules are tricky. Cars registered before January 2021 can cross into the Republic without VAT or customs, but anything brought to NI after December 2020 gets hit with full Irish duties.
Future EU-UK trade talks could shake things up again. Any tweaks to customs or VAT would hit Irish prices straight away.
Honestly, things seem to be getting more complicated, not less. Importing now takes professional know-how, and a lot of dealers just avoid direct imports because of the hassle.
Consumer Advice for Buying in the Current Market
If you’re buying now, you need smart strategies to deal with Brexit’s price hikes and the maze of import rules. Timing matters, and understanding cross-border rules can help you snag a better deal.
Tips for Navigating Higher Prices
Check out several dealers in both Ireland and Northern Ireland to get the best price. Used car prices in Ireland jumped 6% in the last year, so comparing is more important than ever.
Don’t rush your search. Give yourself an extra 2-3 months, if you can. If you hurry, you’ll probably pay more than you need to.
Pick reliability over bells and whistles. People now care most about reliability and value since running costs keep climbing.
Don’t forget these extra costs:
- Higher insurance for pricier models
- More expensive maintenance because of parts shortages
- Extended warranties for peace of mind
“Brexit has fundamentally changed how we approach car buying – patience and thorough research now save buyers thousands compared to rushed decisions,” says Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives.
Key Considerations When Importing
Always check VRT before buying in Northern Ireland. Brexit made this more complicated, and some deals just aren’t worth it anymore.
Double-check the car’s registration. Cars registered in NI before January 1, 2021, count as EU-registered, which changes the import process and costs.
Plan for extra paperwork and possible border delays. These hidden costs can add €500-800 to your total.
Import checklist:
- VRT calculation: Use Revenue’s online tool
- Registration docs: Make sure everything is Brexit-proof
- Insurance: Arrange temporary cover to bring the car home
- Transport costs: Don’t forget fuel and maybe a hotel
Buy sooner rather than later to avoid price hikes from ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Waiting usually means paying more as market chaos drags on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brexit changed how cars move between the UK and Ireland. Now, everything from customs to warranty coverage and insurance costs looks different.
How has Brexit affected the import duties on cars brought into Ireland?
Brexit completely changed the rules for importing cars from the UK to Ireland. Cars from Britain now face extra customs duties that didn’t exist before.
The customs duty usually lands between 8-10% of the car’s value. That’s on top of the usual Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) that Irish buyers have always paid.
I’ve seen plenty of people get caught by surprise with these extra costs. The total can add €2,000-4,000 to a typical UK car import.
What changes in car valuation in Ireland can be attributed to Brexit?
Used car prices in Ireland shot up after Brexit. The DoneDeal price index says second-hand prices were up almost 64% from pre-COVID levels by 2022.
Brexit slowed the flow of cheaper UK imports into Ireland. With fewer cars coming in, prices for used cars here just kept rising.
The impact on Irish motor traders has been huge, since fewer UK imports mean less competition and higher prices.
Has the availability of specific car models in Ireland been impacted by Brexit?
Brexit definitely made some models harder to find in Ireland. Certain UK-only trims and specs are now a pain to import.
Right-hand drive models were easy to bring in from Britain before, but now there’s extra paperwork and higher costs. That’s shrunk the pool of choices for Irish buyers.
“The paperwork burden and additional costs have made UK imports less attractive for many dealers, reducing choice for Irish motorists,” says Ciaran Connolly, Lead Reviewer at Amazing Cars and Drives.
Are there any new regulations affecting car warranties in Ireland as a result of Brexit?
Brexit has really muddied the waters when it comes to warranty coverage for cars brought in from the UK. UK dealers often don’t transfer manufacturer warranties to Irish owners automatically.
If you’re thinking about importing a car from Britain, definitely check the warranty terms first. Some manufacturers actually make you register the car separately in Ireland just to keep the coverage.
European warranty protections that used to apply to UK purchases? They’re gone for Irish buyers now. That leaves some awkward gaps in consumer protection.
What implications does Brexit hold for car insurance premiums in Ireland?
Car insurance premiums haven’t jumped directly because of Brexit. Still, fewer UK imports have shaken up the market a bit.
Since car values have climbed, insurers now face higher replacement costs. That alone can nudge premiums up, especially for comprehensive coverage.
The insurance industry has tweaked its valuation models in response to Brexit’s impact on the Irish car market.
Cross-border insurance setups between Ireland and Northern Ireland? They’re still pretty much the same for residents.
How have post-Brexit trade agreements between the UK and EU influenced car pricing in Ireland?
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement lets cars that meet rules of origin requirements avoid tariffs. But honestly, that doesn’t mean everyone gets away without extra paperwork or costs.
When someone imports cars built outside the UK or EU into Ireland, they get hit with higher duty rates. Japanese and Korean models shipped through UK ports definitely feel this impact.
If you check out the Brexit impact on car prices, you’ll see the trade agreement hasn’t erased those effects. Administrative costs and currency swings still shape what people end up paying for cars in Ireland.