Using CAR Confidence
How to use CAR Confidence to buy a used car
CAR Confidence follows the way a real car search goes. Check every car you like for free, look harder at the two or three worth viewing, then run the full checks on the one you mean to buy.
Updated
What is the best way to use CAR Confidence?
Put every car that catches your eye through the free check and let the MOT history rule cars out. Keep the ones that survive on a shortlist in your garage. Get a Car Health Check on the two or three you’d view, then the CAR Confidence Score on the car you’re about to pay for.
Which check to use when
| Step | Use | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free check | On every car that catches your eye |
| 2 | Car Health Check | On the two or three you would go and view |
| 3 | CAR Confidence Score | On the one you are about to pay for |
Step 1: research with the free check
Type in the registration from any advert. You get the DVLA record and every MOT test the car has had, with the mileage at each one. There’s no account to create. Many cars rule themselves out here, before you have spent anything or driven anywhere.
- The make, colour or engine on the record doesn’t match the advert.
- The same fault comes back at one MOT after another.
- The mileage drops between two tests.
- The MOT runs out in a few weeks and the price takes no account of it.
How to read an MOT historyHow to spot a clocked carUsing ChatGPT or Claude in your search
Step 2: keep a shortlist in your garage
Every car you check is saved in your garage. Shortlist the ones worth a second look and add what the advert says: the asking price, where the car is, the advertised mileage, the link to the listing and your own notes.
Then put the shortlisted cars side by side. The comparison sets them out on the same rows, so the differences are easy to see.
Your garage is kept on the device you’re using. To have it on your phone at a viewing, log in with Google or link your devices without an account.
Step 3: look harder at the cars you’d view
The Car Health Check is for the two or three cars you’re weighing up. It does the reading for you.
- It reads the MOT history and the mileage and says what stands out.
- It sets the asking price against a valuation.
- It gives the car a risk rating: low, medium or high.
- It lists questions to ask the seller, drawn from this car’s own record.
- George, the AI voice, talks you through the result.
Step 4: run the full checks before you pay
The CAR Confidence Score is for the car you intend to buy. It adds the checks that can cost you the car or your money: outstanding finance, a stolen marker, an insurance write-off and the number of previous keepers. It ends in one score out of 100.
Run it before you travel or pay a deposit. If the car already has a Car Health Check, you can top it up to the full checks from your garage.
At the viewing
- Open the report on your phone. George’s spoken summary is there if you’d sooner listen.
- Ask the seller the questions listed in your report.
- Ask to see the V5C logbook and compare it with the record.
- Check the VIN on the car against the logbook.
A report is a reading of the records and nothing more. If you’re spending a lot, pay a mechanic to look at the car too.
How to check a V5C logbookGOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you’re buying
FAQ
Questions people ask
Do I need an account to use CAR Confidence?
No. The checks and your garage work without one. Logging in with Google is optional and saves your garage to your account.
Can I compare two cars?
Yes. Shortlist them in your garage and open the comparison, which sets the cars side by side.
What if the advert hides the registration?
Ask the seller for it. GOV.UK tells buyers to get the registration number, make, model and MOT test number before they go to see a vehicle. Until you have it, you can save the advert in your garage with a note.
Can I share a report with someone?
Yes. Every report has a Share button, so you can send it to a partner, a parent or a friend who knows cars.
Is a report the same as an inspection?
No. A report tells you what the records say about a car. An inspection tells you what a mechanic finds on the day. For a costly car you may want both.
The checks in this guide
More guides
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.