Used Cars Costa Rica - terms to know
Welcome to Autos.Fijatevos.com! The database of cars for sale in Costa Rica. Below you will find a table of terms you may encounter while searching the database. They are organized alphabetically for ease of reference. If you have any trouble, there are helpful notes at the end.(see asterisks)
New! Personal Assistance Special Service (PASS)
Do you need to find a car fast with a minimum of hassle? Would you like someone to interpret for you, drive you from dealer to dealer and assist you with the purchase process or negotiating? Then you may wish to consider our PASS service.
PASS Request Form (this form may also be used to request assistance or vehicles from agencies listed on the site.)
Spanish Term (Engish equivalent) | Spanish Term (Translation) |
| Aire Acondicionado Dual (Air Conditioning - Dual) | Immobilizer (Alarm with fuel or motorCutoff) |
| Al día, RTV (Up to date) | Inscripción (Registration - plates) |
| Alarma (Alarm) | Kilometraje (Mileage) |
| Altura Ajustable (Adjustable height) | LoJack (traceable alarm) |
| Año (Year) | Luces de Halógeno (Halogen lights - fog lights) |
| año entrante -RTV (inspection due next year) | Manual 4 (5)( |
| Anti secuestro (anti hijacking - alarm) | Marca (Make, manufacturer) |
| Aros Lujo (custom or deluxe tire rims) | Marchamo (mandatory taxes and insurance amount) |
| Asiento con Lumbar (Lumbar support in seat) | más (more) |
| Asiento Conductor (driver's seat) | Mataburros (brush guard / cattle catcher) |
| Asiento Giratorios (rotating seats) | Microbus (minivan) |
| Asientos Cuero (leather seats) | millas o km (miles or kilometers) |
| Auto (car or automatic) | Modelo (model) |
| Bolsa Aire Conductor, Dual, Lateral (Air Bags - driver's, dual, side) | Normal (Normal) |
| Bomba Aceite (Oil pump / oil pressure guage) | Otro (other) |
| Bus o Autobus (bus) | para inscribir (to be registered)** |
| Cambiador Discos (disc changer) | Pasajeros (passengers) |
| Camion (Truck) | Pickup (Pickup) |
| Canasta (luggage rack) | placa (license plate - number) |
| Cassette (Cassette player in radio) | Precio (Price) |
| Categoria (Category) | Puertas (Doors) |
| CD (CD player in radio) | Quema Cocos (Sunroof ) |
| Cierre Central (power locks) | Radio (Radio) |
| Cierre Remoto (remote locking) | Regulador Velocidad (Cruise control) |
| Cilindraje en cc (engine displacment in cubic centimeters | remoto (remote) |
| Cilindros (cylinders) | Rental (Rental) |
| Cola de Pato (duck's tail - whale tale or spoiler) | Resorte (shock absorber / spring) |
| Color (Color) | RTV (RiTeVe)* |
| Combustible - Gas, Diesel, LPG (Fuel - Gas, Diesel, Natural Gas) | RTV vence (Technical inspection expires) |
| Control de Radio en Volante(Radio controls on steering wheel) | Spoiler (Air Dam - front) |
| de Lujo (luxury) | Sub Woofer (Sub Woofer) |
| Digital (Digital) | Tacómetro (tachometer - RPMS) |
| Dirección Hidráulico (power steering) | Techo Panoramico (moonroof) |
| Doble (4 wheel drive) | Temperatura (Temperature) |
| Electrico (electric) | Transmision Auto (automatic transmission) |
| Escalera (ladder) | Transmision Manual 4, 5 (manual transmission 4 or 5 speed) |
| Espejos Electricos (power mirrors) | Vencido (RTV) (Expired - RTV)* |
| Estribos (running boards) | Vidrios Electricos (power windows) |
| Fabrica (Factory) | Vidrios Polarizados (tinted windows) |
| Frenos ABS (Anti-lock brakes) | Volante Ajustable (adjustable steering wheel) |
| Frenos Disco- 4 ruedas (disc brakes - all wheels) |
* RTV Technical inspection terms and process
In Costa Rica, every car on the road must pass a technical inspection done by RiTeVe, RTV for short, a Spanish - Costa Rican consortium that is a monopoly. The ending numeral of the license plate will determine what month the car's inspection expires. The Fijatevos used cars database has 3 classifications for technical inspections.
Vencido - means expired. This would be a car in good condition that was accepted in as a trade in, but the RTV has expired. Generally the used car dealer will pass the car through the inspection once you show interest in the car. You would not have to pay a deposit or take delivery until the car has passed the inspection.
Al día - means up to date. This would be a car that has a valid inspection sticker. It may also be a used car imported from the USA or Korea. The car must pass the technical inspection before it can receive license plates, but it cannot have a sticker or licensce plate until it is registered in somebody's name. Therefore, once you purchase the car, and have picked up the license plates, you may take the inspection paperwork to any RTV station and receive the sticker without going through the process.
Año Entrante - means next year. This would be a car that has recently passed the inspection and doesn't need to pass it again until next year.
** Para Inscribir
Used cars imported to the country are not registered in the National Registry of Property by the dealer, so their status is para inscribir. This is in order to avoid double taxation. The taxes for registering a car are lower than transfer taxes at any rate. If the importer were to register the car, they would have to pay the initial registration (and pass the cost along to you!), then you would have to pay a transfer tax to get the car in your name.
