Some of the lowest prices come with gaps in what is covered: We list every price, and every gap, in the cheapest car history check in the UK guide.
- No finance check. Total Car Check Silver (£3.99) and MyCarCheck Basic (£4.99) do not include outstanding finance.
- Finance flag only. RAC Basic (£9.98) tells you whether finance is recorded, but not the agreement details.
- Trials that turn into subscriptions. Some low headline prices are trials: CarVerify+ is £4.99 for 7 days, then £9.99 every 4 weeks. CarCostCheck's £4.99 is a one-off payment with no subscription.
Saving a pound on a check that leaves finance out is not value. Finance is one of the checks you most need before handing over money.
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CarCostCheck earns best-value status because of what comes with the £4.99:
Free MOT Failure Analysis
Every MOT failure in the car's history is grouped by defect category (brakes, suspension, emissions, lights, tyres, steering, body). Recurring issues become visible at a glance.
Reliability Scoring
The free report gives a 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 from the car's MOT advisories, combined into an annual figure. It is free.
Predicted Repair Costs
Based on the car's recent MOT advisories, CarCostCheck estimates likely repair bills. Useful for negotiating on price or deciding whether a borderline car is worth pursuing at all.
Put together, that is a lot of information for £4.99, and it is why CarCostCheck is our recommendation for most private buyers.
For the best-value approach to checking a used car in 2026:
- Run the free CarCostCheck report. MOT history, mileage, reliability and running costs tell you whether the car is worth pursuing before you spend anything.
- If it passes, pay £4.99 for the full CarCostCheck report to unlock stolen, finance and write-off data.
- Want to check the price? Get the history check and a market valuation together for £6.99.
Total cost: £6.99 for the history check and valuation, and the free report covers the initial evaluation at zero cost.
- You need a specific brand's report for a dealer finance agreement or insurance requirement that asks for it by name.
- You are running 10+ checks a month as a dealer and a bulk subscription brings per-check costs down.
- You specifically need a formally-worded £30,000 data accuracy guarantee for legal or insurance documentation.
Outside these cases, CarCostCheck at £4.99 is the best-value choice for most private buyers doing a one-off check.
Our best-value UK car check for 2026: CarCostCheck at £4.99. You get stolen, outstanding finance (with lender and agreement details) and write-off checks, the date of each recorded keeper change and a free report with MOT history, mileage, reliability and running costs, for less than most checks that include finance. Pay more if you want a £30,000 guarantee (the AA, RAC Full) or European history (carVertical).
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12 checks included free. Premium stolen, finance, and write-off checks for just £4.99. Market valuation from £2.99.
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