Vehicle checks

Outstanding finance check

Find out whether a car still has finance owing on it before you hand over any money. The finance check comes with the CAR Confidence Score report. Start with the free check to confirm it’s the right car.

How do I know if a car has outstanding finance?

You need a finance check, because outstanding finance doesn’t appear on the DVLA record or in the MOT history. The CAR Confidence Score report checks the registration against finance records and tells you whether an agreement is still registered against the car before you pay for it.

Why outstanding finance matters

Under a hire purchase or conditional sale agreement, the finance company owns the car until the last payment. Most PCP deals work the same way. A seller who still owes money doesn’t fully own the car they are selling.

A private buyer who didn’t know about a hire purchase or conditional sale agreement often has the right to keep the car. It is for the finance company to prove otherwise. The position is less clear if you weren’t the first private buyer. Sorting it out with a lender takes time either way, which is why a check before you pay is the easier route.

Citizens Advice: If the car you bought is still on hire purchase Write-off categories explained Stolen car check

What the finance check shows

The report tells you whether a finance agreement is registered against the car. It doesn’t name the lender or the amount owed. If an agreement shows up, the seller is the person to ask for both.

Stolen and insurance write-off records
Scrapped and exported markers
How many keepers the car has had
A score out of 100 with George’s spoken summary

Compare the two reports See a sample report Meet George

If the check finds finance

Don’t hand over any money yet.
Ask the seller to settle the agreement and to show you written confirmation from the lender.
Buying from a dealer? Ask them to clear the finance as part of the sale.
If the seller gets cagey about any of this, walk away.

Finance records rely on lenders reporting their agreements, so no check can promise it has found every one. That’s one more reason to buy from someone who can show you the paperwork.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is the car finance check free?

No, because it relies on paid data. It’s part of the CAR Confidence Score report, which you add after the free check has confirmed the car.

What happens if I buy a car with outstanding finance?

The finance company may contact you to recover the car or the money it is owed. If you bought privately and didn’t know about the agreement, you often have the right to keep the car. The finance company has to prove you don’t. A check first saves the argument.

Does the Car Health Check include a finance check?

No. The Car Health Check covers the MOT history, the mileage and the price. You need the CAR Confidence Score report for finance.

Does the report say who the finance is with?

No. It shows whether an agreement is registered against the car. If one is, ask the seller for a settlement letter from their lender.

Guides

Questions to ask the sellerThe questions to put to a seller, with why each one matters and what to listen for.Buying a car What to check when buying a used carA checklist in the order you’d use it: before you travel, at the viewing, before you pay.Buying a car How to use CAR ConfidenceThe three steps of a car search: research, shortlist, buy.Using CAR Confidence

Stolen car checkWhether the car has been reported stolen, plus how to spot a clone.In the CAR Confidence Score Write-off checkInsurance write-off categories, including Cat S and Cat N.In the CAR Confidence Score Mileage checkThe odometer reading at every MOT, with any mileage that goes backwards.Free

Free car check

Check it before you go and see it

DVLA details, tax and MOT status, mileage and the full MOT history, free for any UK registration.