Before buying any used car privately or from a dealer, a vehicle history check is essential. These checks cross-reference DVLA, DVSA, insurance and finance databases and can reveal serious problems that are not visible on a physical inspection.
What a vehicle history check covers
The main paid history check providers (HPI, RAC, AA, Experian AutoCheck) typically cover: outstanding finance (whether the car is still subject to a loan, meaning the lender could legally repossess it); insurance write-off status (whether the car has previously been declared a total loss after an accident); stolen vehicle records; mileage discrepancy (whether the odometer reading is consistent with previous MOT records); number of previous owners; and MOT history including advisories and failures.
The free MOT history check
The DVSA provides a free MOT history check at check-mot.service.gov.uk. Enter the registration number and you can see every MOT result going back to 2005, including dates, mileage readings, failure reasons and advisories. This is valuable for spotting mileage discrepancies and recurring mechanical issues.
Outstanding finance: the most important check
If a car has outstanding finance, the finance company technically owns it, not the seller. If you buy it without knowing and the seller defaults on the finance, the car can be legally repossessed by the lender even though you paid for it in good faith. The only legal protection against this is a private purchase in good faith, which can be difficult to prove. A history check is the simplest protection.
What a history check cannot tell you
History checks do not reveal mechanical condition, accident damage that was not declared to an insurer, or whether the car has been serviced properly. That is what a pre-purchase inspection by a garage is for.
At Steins Garage we carry out pre-purchase inspections from £99 + VAT. Call 0131 554 3423 or contact us here.