Verified used Car History using Blockchain

The Indian used car market has grown significantly with the rise of online marketplaces such as Spinny, yet issues relating to trust, transparency, and authenticity of vehicle history continue to persist. Buyers often rely on information provided by sellers or intermediaries, which may be incomplete, manipulated, or misleading. Common problems include odometer tampering, concealment of accident history, fragmented service records, and the inherent conflict of interest in platform-controlled verification systems. This article examines how blockchain technology, particularly a shared permissioned blockchain ecosystem, can address these challenges by creating a secure, decentralized, and tamper-proof Digital Vehicle Passport linked to each vehicle’s identification number. The study proposes a consortium-based blockchain model involving government authorities, insurers, service centres, manufacturers, and used car marketplaces, where verified stakeholders collectively maintain immutable vehicle records. Through cryptographic authentication, time-stamped entries, and distributed verification, the system enhances transparency, traceability, and buyer confidence while reducing fraud. The paper further outlines a phased roadmap for implementation, including consortium governance, stakeholder onboarding, real-time data capture, and buyer verification interfaces. Additionally, the article critically evaluates practical and legal challenges such as stakeholder coordination, incomplete offline data capture, regulatory recognition under the Motor Vehicles Act, compliance concerns with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and high implementation costs. The paper concludes that a shared blockchain ecosystem has the potential to transform trust in the used car industry from a platform-dependent assurance into a verifiable cryptographic guarantee, thereby strengthening transparency and accountability in vehicle transactions.