| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Price | £4.99 (premium) / Free (basic) |
| Data coverage | Best in class (provenance + MOT + costs + reliability) |
| Hidden costs | None. No subscriptions, no auto-renewal. |
| Speed | Instant results, no sign-up required |
Car Checks
Best Car Check UK 2026: The Complete Comparison
We tested every major UK car check service in 2026. Here is which one offers the best value, the most data, and the fewest hidden catches. Spoiler: it is not the most expensive one.
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CarCostCheckCheck Any Car Free, Instantly
Full MOT history, mileage check, health score, running costs. No signup needed.
Short answer: After comparing every major UK car check service in 2026, CarCostCheck offers the best overall value. At £4.99, it includes everything the £19.99 HPI check covers (same Experian data) plus MOT history analysis, running costs, reliability scoring, and common faults that no other provider includes. The free tier alone is more comprehensive than some providers' paid reports.
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How We Compared Them
We evaluated each provider on five criteria that matter to used car buyers:
- Data coverage: What checks are actually included in the report
- Price: What you pay for a single check
- Hidden costs: Subscriptions, add-ons, or upsells
- Usability: How quickly you get results and how clear they are
- Customer satisfaction: Trustpilot ratings and common complaints
Check Any Car's Costs Instantly
Enter any reg below for a free MOT history, mileage check, and running costs. Takes 5 seconds, no signup.
Data from DVSA and DVLA. Used by thousands of UK car buyers.
The Rankings
1st: CarCostCheck (Overall Best Value)
What it includes: The free tier gives you MOT history, mileage verification, reliability score, running costs, common faults, insurance group, ULEZ compliance, and recall check. The £4.99 premium tier adds stolen, finance, write-off, VIN, keepers, plate transfers, and colour changes. The £6.99 bundle adds a full market valuation.
What sets it apart: It is the only service that combines Experian provenance data with practical ownership intelligence (running costs, reliability, predicted repairs) at any price. HPI at four times the price does not include any of these extras.
2nd: MyCarCheck (Best Budget Alternative)
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Price | £4.99 |
| Data coverage | Good (provenance only, no MOT or costs) |
| Hidden costs | None |
| Speed | Instant |
What it includes: Stolen, finance, write-off, mileage anomaly flag, plate changes, and keeper count. It does not include MOT history analysis, running cost estimates, or reliability scoring.
Verdict: A solid provenance-only option at the same price as CarCostCheck. If all you want is the Experian data without the extras, it does the job. But you get significantly less information for the same money.
3rd: AA Car Check (Best Known Brand at Mid-Price)
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Price | £9.99 |
| Data coverage | Standard (provenance only) |
| Hidden costs | May upsell AA membership |
| Speed | Instant |
Verdict: The same Experian data as £4.99 providers at double the price. The AA name adds trust for some buyers, but does not add data.
4th: RAC Car Passport
Nearly identical to the AA offering at £9.99. Same Experian data, no MOT or running cost analysis. The RAC does offer a physical pre-purchase inspection from £149, which is a separate and genuinely useful service for high-value or older cars.
5th: HPI Check (Most Recognised, Worst Value)
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Price | £19.99 |
| Data coverage | Standard (provenance only) |
| Hidden costs | £39/year auto-renewing subscription |
| Trustpilot rating | 1.3/5 (hundreds of reviews) |
Verdict: The most expensive mainstream option with the worst customer reviews. The same Experian data as every other provider, no MOT analysis, no running costs, and a hidden subscription that auto-charges £39/year. The brand recognition is strong, but the product has not kept pace with the market.
6th: CarVertical (Niche Use Only)
At £33.99, this is only worth considering for European imports where cross-border history matters. For standard UK cars, it is the most expensive way to access the same data.
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Side-by-Side Feature Comparison
| Feature | CarCostCheck | MyCarCheck | AA | RAC | HPI | CarVertical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4.99 | £4.99 | £9.99 | £9.99 | £19.99 | £33.99 |
| Stolen check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Finance check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Write-off check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MOT history | ✓ (free) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mileage analysis | ✓ (free) | Basic | ✗ | ✗ | Basic | ✓ |
| Running costs | ✓ (free) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Reliability score | ✓ (free) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Common faults | ✓ (free) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Recall check | ✓ (free) | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Valuation | £2.99 add-on | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Separate product | ✗ |
| Hidden subscription | No | No | No | No | £39/yr auto-renew | No |
| EU import history | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Our Recommendation
For the vast majority of used car purchases in the UK, CarCostCheck is the best option. It costs the least, includes the most data, and has no hidden catches. Start with the free check to screen the car, then pay £4.99 for the premium report if it looks promising. Add the valuation for £2.99 (or £6.99 for the bundle) if you want negotiation ammunition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes CarCostCheck Different
CarCostCheck is not just a cheaper version of HPI. It is a fundamentally better product that happens to cost 75% less. Here is what you get that HPI does not offer at any price:
- Real-time market valuation from £2.99, powered by over 650,000 live UK dealer listings. See what your car is actually worth in your local area, how quickly similar cars sell, and how the price compares nationally.
- Estimated vehicle lifespan: Our AI model analyses over 100 million data points to predict how many years the car has left and the probability of it being on the road in 12 months.
- Insurance costs by age: See estimated annual premiums for drivers aged 20, 30, 40, and 50. Budget before you buy.
- Running cost breakdown: Annual fuel, road tax, MOT, predicted repairs, and total cost per month. All calculated for this specific car.
- Health score (0-100): A single number that tells you the overall condition of the vehicle based on MOT history, advisory patterns, mileage consistency, and maintenance trends.
- Common faults: Known issues for this exact make and model, drawn from real MOT failure data across thousands of vehicles.
- 12 free checks: Full MOT history, mileage verification, reliability score, running costs, fuel costs, insurance group, red flag alerts, common faults, recall check, ULEZ compliance, and more. All before you pay a penny.
The premium history check (£4.99) uses the same Experian database as HPI, AA, and RAC. You get identical stolen, finance, and write-off data. The complete bundle (history + valuation) is £6.99, still 65% cheaper than HPI's basic check.
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12 checks included free. Premium stolen, finance, and write-off checks for just £4.99. Market valuation from £2.99.
Related Reading
Explore Car Data by Make
Check Any Car's Costs Instantly
Enter any reg plate for a free MOT history, mileage check, health score, and running costs. No signup needed.
Used by thousands of UK car buyers. Data from DVSA and DVLA.
Example report preview
2019 Ford Fiesta
1.0 EcoBoost, Petrol, Manual
82
Grade A
£2,450
per year
Pass
MOT status
42k
Mileage
Fuel£1,180Tax£165Insurance£680Repairs£425
This is what you'll see. Try it with YOUR car:
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