Buying a used car without checking its history is like buying a house without a survey. You might be fine. Or you might be buying someone else's financial or legal problem. The checks cost very little and take minutes. There's no good reason to skip them.
The Free Checks (Do These First)
MOT History — Free on GOV.UK
Go to check-mot.service.gov.uk and enter the registration number. You'll see every MOT test result going back years — passes, failures, and critically, the advisories.
Advisories are items that weren't serious enough to fail the car but were noted as issues to watch. Looking at a few years of advisories tells you a lot about how the car has been maintained — and what might need attention soon.
Red flags in MOT history:
- Mileage that decreases between tests — the car has been clocked
- Same advisories year after year — the owner hasn't fixed known issues
- Long gaps between MOTs — the car may have been off the road (why?)
- Multiple failures in a row — suggests a poorly-maintained car
DVLA Vehicle Check — Free
At vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk you can check whether a car is taxed, what the MOT expiry date is, and basic vehicle details. Quick and free — do it for every car you view.
The Paid Check — Worth Every Penny
HPI Check (or equivalent)
HPI, Experian, and the AA all offer comprehensive vehicle history checks for £10–£30. They tell you:
- Outstanding finance — if the previous owner borrowed money against the car, the lender can repossess it from you. This is the most important check.
- Write-off status — Category A (scrap only), B (body shell scrap), S (structural damage, repaired), or N (non-structural damage, repaired). Category S and N can be fine; A and B should never be on the road.
- Stolen status — self-explanatory
- Number of previous owners
- Import/export status
- Mileage discrepancy alerts
The cost is £10–£30. On a £5,000 car, this is 0.2–0.6% of the purchase price. Always do it.
What to Do If the Check Shows Issues
- Outstanding finance: Walk away unless the seller can prove it's been settled before completion of the sale. Never take someone's word for it.
- Category S write-off: Get an independent inspection from a qualified mechanic. Repaired properly, these are often fine. Repaired badly, they're dangerous.
- Stolen: Contact the police. Do not buy the car.
- Mileage discrepancy: Challenge the seller. If they can't explain it, walk away.
After your history checks come back clean, find your perfect car on AllCarsUK — browse London, Manchester, Birmingham, and across the UK.