Buying a used car can feel like a blind date. It looks great in the pictures, the description is glowing, and you’re already imagining your future together. But what’s it really like? What’s it hiding?
In the past, all you could do was kick the tyres and hope for the best. Today, you have a digital superpower. Before you even think about a test drive, you need to play detective and look into the car’s past. So, how do you really know what you’re buying? You do a car history check, and you do it right. It’s the single most important twenty quid you’ll spend in the entire car-buying process.
In this blog post, I will explain how to check a used car’s history online, and which tech tools are your best bet.
What is a Car History Check, Really?
Think of it as a background check for a car. It’s not magic; it’s a detailed report pulled from huge, official databases like the DVLA, police records, and insurance and finance companies. It takes the car’s registration number and spits out its life story—the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can also do a car history check online to make an informed buying decision.
It’s crucial to remember what it isn’t. A history check won’t tell you if the clutch is about to go or if the air-con needs a re-gas. That’s a job for a mechanical inspection. What it will tell you is whether the car is legally safe and financially sound.
Here’s the critical stuff a good check will uncover:
- Outstanding Finance: This is the big one. If the previous owner bought the car on finance and hasn’t paid it off, the finance company still technically owns it. If you buy it, they can repossess it from you, leaving you with no car and no money. About one in three cars checked has outstanding finance. Scary, right?
- Stolen Status: It checks the Police National Computer (PNC) to see if the car has been reported stolen. Buying a stolen car, even unknowingly, means you lose the car and your cash when it’s returned to its rightful owner.
- Insurance Write-Offs: Has the car been in a serious accident and been ‘written off’ by an insurer? This is vital to know. A car can be written off but safely repaired and put back on the road, but you need to know what you’re getting into.
- Mileage Discrepancies: This is called ‘clocking’. A check compares the current mileage to its history (from MOTs, services etc.) to see if it’s been tampered with to make the car seem less used than it is.
- Number of Previous Keepers: A car with ten owners in five years might have a story to tell, and it’s probably not a good one.
- Scrapped Check: You don’t want to buy a car that the DVLA thinks has already been turned into a cube of scrap metal.
- Import/Export Status: An imported car isn’t necessarily bad, but it can make insurance and parts more difficult to sort out.
“Can’t I Just Use the Free MOT Check?”
Yes, and you absolutely should! The free GOV.UK MOT history check is a fantastic starting point. It shows you if a car has passed or failed its MOTs, what the advisory notes were, and the mileage recorded at each test. It can give you a great sense of how the car’s been looked after.
But it’s just one piece of the puzzle. It won’t tell you about finance, theft, or if it was a write-off. Think of the free MOT check as the appetiser. A full history check is the main course.
Choosing Your Tool: The Big Names vs. The Smart Choice
You’ve got a few options when it comes to paid checks. They all pull from similar core data sources, but how they present it and what extra value they offer can vary wildly.
The Traditional Players (HPI, AA, RAC)
These are the big names everyone knows. HPI invented the car history check, and both the AA and RAC typically rely on HPI’s data behind the scenes. On paper, they tick all the right boxes—finance, write-offs, stolen status, and mileage checks. They also offer guarantees if their data is wrong, sometimes up to £30,000.
But brand power does not equal quality anymore. HPI’s Trustpilot score is just 2.1 out of 5, and the AA’s is even worse at 1.8 out of 5. The reviews are full of complaints about missing information, outdated data, and poor customer support.
They might seem like the safe choice, but the experience often feels clunky and overpriced. You are paying more for the name, not necessarily for better service.
The Modern Alternatives (Car Owl)
Then you have the newer, more tech-focused services. They often have slicker interfaces and add clever features on top of the raw data.
For a UK car purchase, I find myself recommending Car Owl more and more.
Here’s why: they seem to have thought about what a car buyer actually needs. It’s not just a data dump. They offer tools that help you make smarter decisions.
- Known Issues Tool: This is brilliant. It tells you the common faults for that specific make, model, and year. So you know to listen for a specific rattle or ask about a known electrical gremlin.
- Cost of Ownership Calculator: It helps you budget for the stuff you forget, like depreciation, insurance, and tax.
- User-Friendly Reports: The reports are clean, easy to read, and don’t require a degree in mechanics to understand.
- Great Reputation: They have an “Excellent” 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot, which speaks volumes.
They seem to hit the sweet spot between providing robust, reliable data and genuinely useful, modern features, often for less than the cost of a couple of fancy coffees.
Decoding the Jargon: A Quick Guide
The report will have some technical terms. Don’t panic. Here’s what you need to know.
| Term | What it Means in Plain English |
| V5C | The car’s logbook. The official paper document that proves who the keeper is. |
| VIN | Vehicle Identification Number. It’s the car’s unique 17-digit fingerprint, stamped on the chassis. |
| Cat N | A non-structural write-off. The damage was cosmetic or electrical. Can be perfectly safe if repaired properly. |
| Cat S | A structural write-off. The car’s frame or chassis was damaged but has been professionally repaired. Needs a closer look. |
| Cat B | The body shell should have been crushed. Parts can be salvaged, but the car should never go back on the road. |
| Cat A | The car is a scrap-metal-cube-in-waiting. Must be completely destroyed. Avoid like the plague. |
| PNC, MIAFTR | The official police and insurance databases. This is where the stolen and write-off data comes from. It’s legit. |
The Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask
- “The seller won’t give me the registration number. Is that weird?” Yes. It’s a massive red flag. A genuine seller has nothing to hide. Walk away.
- “Can a history check be wrong?” Not usually, but there are limits. If the vehicle is particularly old or a classic, some details may be missing simply because they were never recorded digitally or the databases no longer track them. Some companies offer big headline guarantees, but the fine print usually excludes older vehicles. Car Owl skips the empty promises and focuses on giving you the clearest picture possible based on the data that actually exists.
- “So if the check is clear, the car is perfect, right?” No, no, no! A clear history check means the car has a clean past. It says nothing about its current mechanical health. It could have a perfect history and still have a worn-out engine. Always get a mechanical inspection if you’re not confident yourself.
- “I’m looking at three different cars. Will this cost me a fortune?” It doesn’t have to. Most services offer multi-check deals that make it much cheaper. Car Owl offers a 3-car discount for serious car hunters which can be incredibly cost-effective.
Your Final Pre-Flight Checklist
Buying a used car is a process of reducing risk. A history check is your most powerful tool for doing just that.
- See the car. Does it look and feel right?
- Do the free GOV.UK MOT check. Get a feel for its past maintenance.
- Run a full history check. My personal recommendation is Car Owl for its blend of features and value.
- Consider a mechanical inspection. Especially if the car is older or more expensive.
- Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.
Only when all those boxes are ticked should you get excited about your new wheels. Happy hunting
