Bought a German Car with Two Wheel Sets? Here Is What to Do with the One You Won't Use

Why German cars come with two sets so often

Germany's situational law means driving on the wrong tires when conditions turn is a real legal and insurance risk (more on the insurance angle in our companion article), so German owners rarely leave it to chance. A Reifenhotel — a tire shop that stores your off-season set on its own rims between changeovers — is a normal, common service, and cars are frequently sold with both sets included, particularly late-model cars still on their original equipment.

Step 1: confirm what is actually included in the sale

Before finalising a purchase, get written confirmation of exactly which wheels come with the car. Some listings clearly state 'inkl. Winterräder' (winter wheels included); others leave it ambiguous, and the seller may intend to keep the second set for their next car. This single question avoids a dispute after the transport is already booked.

Step 2: decide whether the unused set is worth shipping

If it is winter and the car is on its winter set, you are shipping the summer set as the 'extra' — genuinely useful in Spain, since it is what you will actually drive on most of the year, so shipping it makes clear sense. If the car is on its summer set and the winter set is the extra, the calculation shifts: Spain's mild climate away from the mountains means a dedicated winter set may see only occasional use, which changes the cost-benefit compared with the summer set.

• Summer set as the 'extra': almost always worth shipping — it is your everyday tire in Spain.
• Winter set as the 'extra', and you live on the coast or in a city with no realistic mountain driving: consider selling it in Germany instead.
• Winter set as the 'extra', and you plan real winter mountain trips or live somewhere genuinely cold in Spain (parts of the interior, the north, or near ski areas): shipping it can be worthwhile.
• Check whether the wheels are on their own rims (common in Germany) — rims add shipping weight and value both ways of the decision.

Step 3: selling in Germany if you don't ship it

A matched winter wheel set with reasonable tread left has real resale value in Germany precisely because the market for it is so structurally strong — every German driver eventually needs one. Selling through the same platform you bought the car on, or through a local Reifenhandel, is usually straightforward and can meaningfully offset your transport costs for the car itself.

Does the extra set change your import tax bill?

No. IEDMT depends only on the car's CO2 figure, and whether ITP or VAT applies depends only on whether the seller was a private individual or a professional dealer — an accessory wheel set travelling with the car does not change either calculation. If you ship wheels separately as freight rather than with the car, ask your transport agent about the practical logistics, though within the EU (Germany to Spain) there is no customs step to worry about either way.

Frequently asked questions

Are German winter tires 3PMSF-compliant for use in Spain?

Almost always for anything reasonably recent, since Germany's own law has pushed the market toward 3PMSF and away from M+S-only tires since 2018, and stopped accepting old M+S tires entirely from October 2024. Check the sidewall to be sure on an older set.

Can I have the wheels resized or refinished before shipping?

You can, but it adds cost and time to the process; most buyers ship the wheels as-is and deal with cosmetic or fitment changes once the car is registered in Spain.