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Buying a car

What to check when buying a used car

A used car checklist you can work through in order. Most of it happens before you leave the house, because the cheapest time to rule a car out is before you have travelled to see it.

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What should I check when buying a used car?

Before you travel, check the registration against the DVLA record and read the MOT history. At the viewing, check the V5C logbook, the VIN and the car itself. Before you pay, check for outstanding finance, a stolen marker and an insurance write-off, because those three can cost you the car.

Before you travel

  1. Ask the seller for the registration number, the make and model and the MOT test number. GOV.UK tells buyers to get all three before they see a vehicle.
  2. Check the registration against the DVLA record. The colour, engine and fuel it shows should be the ones in the advert.
  3. Read the MOT history. Look for the same fault coming back, advisories that were never dealt with and how long is left on the current MOT.
  4. Follow the mileage from test to test. Each reading should be higher than the last.
  5. Check the tax status. Tax doesn’t come with the car, so you’ll be taxing it yourself before the drive home.

Our check does not look for outstanding safety recalls. GOV.UK has a free checker for those.

GOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you’re buyingGOV.UK: Check if a vehicle has been recalledDVLA vehicle checkMOT checkMileage check

At the viewing

  1. View the car in daylight, ideally when it is dry. Citizens Advice suggests meeting a private seller at their house, so you have a record of their address.
  2. Ask for the V5C logbook and find the DVL watermark in the paper.
  3. Check the logbook’s details against what the seller told you and against the record.
  4. Find the VIN and engine number stamped on the car. Both should be the ones printed in the logbook.
  5. Ask the questions the car’s own record raises: what was done about each advisory, why it is being sold and how long the seller has had it.
  6. Look the car over and drive it. A record check can’t do that for you.

How to check a V5C logbookPrevious owners checkQuestions to ask the sellerGet an AI assistant to plan the viewing

Before you pay

Three things never show up in the DVLA record or the MOT history. Each can cost you the car or the money you paid for it. Citizens Advice calls a private history check that covers them a good idea.

CheckWhy it matters
Outstanding financeA car with finance owing can still belong to the lender
Stolen markerA stolen car can be taken off you and returned, whatever you paid
Insurance write-offYou need to know the category and what was repaired before you agree a price

The CAR Confidence Score report runs all three, with the number of previous keepers. Then agree the price, get a receipt and check the seller reports the sale to the DVLA.

Outstanding finance checkStolen car checkWrite-off checkCitizens Advice: Buying a used car

After you buy

  1. Take the green new keeper slip from the V5C. The seller reports the sale to the DVLA.
  2. Use the reference number on that slip to tax the car. Do it before you set off.
  3. Insure it before you drive it.
  4. Expect a new V5C in your name by post. If nothing has come after four weeks, contact the DVLA.

GOV.UK: If you buy or sell a vehicleWork out the car’s tax

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is the most important check on a used car?

There isn’t one. The MOT history tells you most about condition and costs nothing to read. Checks for finance, theft and write-offs protect your money, so run those on the car you decide to buy.

What should I ask the seller before I view?

The registration number, the make and model and the MOT test number, as GOV.UK advises. With the registration you can check the car before you spend anything on travel.

Do I need a mechanic to inspect it?

For an expensive car it is worth it. Records show what was written down at each MOT. A mechanic tells you what the car is like today.

Are the checks different for a dealer and a private seller?

The checks are the same. With a private seller there is no business behind the sale, so finding a problem before you pay matters even more.

Can I do these checks free?

The DVLA record, tax status and full MOT history are free here. Checking for finance, theft and a write-off relies on paid records, so those come in the CAR Confidence Score report.

MOT checkMOT status and expiry, then every test since 2005 with failures, advisories and mileage.FreeV5C logbook checkWhen the logbook was last issued, plus how to check the one you’re shown.FreeOutstanding finance checkWhether money is still owed on the car, before you pay.In the CAR Confidence Score

More guides

Where to buy a used carThe main UK used car websites, who sells on each and what they say you get.Finding a carUsing ChatGPT or Claude to find a carWhat an AI assistant can do in a car search and what only the record can tell you.Using AI in your searchCat S and Cat N carsWhat the two repairable write-off categories mean and what to check before you buy one.Buying a car

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.

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