AA vs RAC vs CarCostCheck: Car Check Comparison (2026)

The AA and RAC are two of the best-known names in UK car history checks. CarCostCheck is a newer alternative that competes on price and on what comes free with the check. All three cover stolen, outstanding finance and write-off, but they differ on price, on how much finance detail you see, on guarantees and on extras. For most private buyers, we think CarCostCheck is the best value of the three: £4.99 as a one-off payment, with the lender and agreement details if finance is found, and a free report with MOT analysis, a reliability score and running costs. Prices checked 8 October 2026.

The three do not all use the same databases, because there is more than one finance register. The AA's check and the RAC's Full check include a £30,000 data guarantee. CarCostCheck has no data guarantee; its terms say it refunds you if a report fails to generate, shows the wrong vehicle or has a fault. Pricing reflects the brand, the guarantee and what each check includes.

Feature Comparison

Check	CarCostCheck £4.99	AA £14.99	RAC Full £14.99
Stolen register	✓	✓	✓
Outstanding finance	✓ (lender and agreement details)	✓	✓ (finance details)
Write-off	✓ (category, date, insurer and damage)	✓	✓ (write-off details)
Mileage check	✓ (free, with clocking detection)	✓	✓
Previous keepers	✓ (date of each recorded change)	✓ (keeper count)	✓ (previous owners)
£30,000 data guarantee	No	✓	✓ (qualifying claims)

All three cover the core history checks. The differences are in the extras: CarCostCheck adds a free report with MOT failure categorisation, a reliability score, running cost estimates and predicted repair costs; the RAC's Full check lists common MOT failures and average running costs; and the AA's check and the RAC's Full check include a £30,000 guarantee.

CarCostCheck at £4.99

CarCostCheck is the cheapest of the three. Its history data comes from Experian AutoCheck, supplied through a data partner, and its MOT history from the DVSA. On top of the core checks, its free report includes:

• MOT failure categorisation, historical failures grouped by defect category so recurring issues are visible at a glance.
• Reliability score, worked out from the car's own MOT record: its pass rate, recent failures, advisory trend and mileage.
• Running cost estimate, fuel, road tax, MOT and predicted repairs combined into an annual figure.
• Predicted repair costs, likely repair bills based on the car's recent MOT advisories.

The free report needs no payment and no sign-up, so you can screen a car before you spend anything. The £4.99 history check is a one-off payment: the report appears on screen and you get an emailed link to it.

Trade-off: CarCostCheck does not offer a data guarantee. If a £30,000 guarantee matters to you, the AA's check and the RAC's Full check include one, for £10 more.

AA Car Check at £14.99

The AA's car check is a standalone product from one of the UK's best-known motoring brands. It covers the core provenance checks (stolen, finance, write-off, mileage and keepers) and includes a £30,000 data guarantee. At £14.99 (checked 8 October 2026) it costs £10 more than CarCostCheck, and five checks cost £6 each, which helps if you are comparing several cars.

The AA check is a reasonable choice for buyers who value the AA name and a formal guarantee. Compared with CarCostCheck at £4.99, it costs three times as much; what the extra buys is the guarantee and the brand.

Important: the AA car check does not include breakdown cover. It is a standalone product sold under the AA name, not bundled with any AA membership.

RAC Vehicle History Check from £9.98

The RAC sells two checks (prices checked 8 October 2026):

• Basic, £9.98: flags finance, but without the agreement details, and leaves out mileage, MOT history and the guarantee.
• Full, £14.99: adds finance details, mileage, MOT history, write-off details, previous owners, average running costs and MOT failure data, with a £30,000 guarantee on qualifying claims.

The RAC's Full check is a sound choice if you want a motoring brand and a guarantee. Compared with CarCostCheck at £4.99, it costs £10 more, and its Basic check costs about twice as much as CarCostCheck while leaving out the finance agreement details that CarCostCheck shows.

Which to Choose

Of the three providers, we think CarCostCheck is the best value for most private buyers. It is the cheapest of the three, it covers every core provenance check, and its free report adds MOT failure categorisation, reliability scoring, running cost estimates and predicted repair costs.

The cases where one of the others may suit you better:

• AA £14.99, if you value the AA name and a £30,000 guarantee, or want five checks at £6 each.
• RAC Full £14.99, if you value the RAC name and a £30,000 guarantee on qualifying claims.
• CarCostCheck £4.99, our pick for most private buyers. The cheapest of the three, with the core checks and a free report with analysis extras.

All three cover the core checks, but each adds different extras: the AA and the RAC's Full check a guarantee, and CarCostCheck a free analysis report at the lowest price of the three.