Short answer: The RAC offers two completely different car check products, and it is important not to confuse them. The RAC Car Passport is an online database check costing £9.99. It provides the same Experian-sourced provenance data as HPI but at half the price. The RAC physical inspection starts at £99 and involves a mechanic checking the car in person. For an online check, CarCostCheck provides the same core data plus significant extras for £4.99.
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RAC Car Passport: The Online Check
The RAC Car Passport is their online data check, priced at £9.99. Like the AA and HPI, it queries the Experian vehicle database to check:
- Stolen vehicle status via the Police National Computer
- Outstanding finance agreements
- Insurance write-off history with category detail
- Mileage discrepancy flags
- VIN number verification
- Previous keeper count
- Colour change records
The report is clean and well-presented, as you would expect from the RAC brand. It includes a data guarantee similar to HPI's, covering you if the car turns out to have undisclosed stolen or finance issues that the check missed.
What the online check does not include: MOT test history, advisory and failure details, repair cost estimates, running cost projections, reliability scoring, common fault alerts, or DVSA recall status. For those data points, you need to look elsewhere.
RAC Physical Inspection: A Different Product Entirely
The RAC also offers physical vehicle inspections starting from £99 for the basic tier and going up to £199 for the comprehensive package. These are hands-on assessments where a qualified mechanic visits the car's location and checks 82+ points covering:
- Bodywork condition (rust, accident repair signs, paint mismatches)
- Engine bay inspection (leaks, wear, component condition)
- Underside check (corrosion, structural damage)
- Electrical systems test
- Interior assessment
- Short road test (at higher tiers)
- Written report with photos
A physical inspection catches things that no online database can: hidden body filler, oil leaks, suspension wear, clutch slip, and general mechanical condition. If you are spending serious money on a used car, or buying privately without any warranty, a physical inspection is genuinely useful.
However, the physical inspection and the online car passport are completely separate products. Buying the £99 inspection does not include stolen, finance, or write-off checks. You would need to buy both if you want complete coverage, bringing the total to £109 or more.
RAC Online Check vs CarCostCheck
| Feature | RAC Car Passport (£9.99) | CarCostCheck Premium (£4.99) | CarCostCheck Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stolen check | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Finance check | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Write-off check | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| VIN/plate check | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keeper count | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Full MOT history | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MOT advisories explained | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Repair cost predictions | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reliability score | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Running cost breakdown | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Common faults | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DVSA recall data | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price | £9.99 | £4.99 | Free |
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Do You Need a Physical Inspection?
A physical inspection is worth considering in specific situations:
- High-value purchases (over £5,000): The £99 to £199 inspection cost is a small percentage of the purchase price and could save you thousands if it catches a serious issue.
- Private sales without warranty: When there is no dealer warranty to fall back on, an independent inspection provides protection.
- Older cars with limited service history: If the paperwork trail is thin, a mechanic's eyes on the car fill in gaps that no database can.
- Cars bought sight-unseen: If you are buying a car from the other end of the country based on photos, pay for an inspection.
For most standard used car purchases, however, a thorough online check is sufficient. A free CarCostCheck report will show you every MOT test since 2005, flag any mileage discrepancies, and estimate the car's reliability and running costs. The £4.99 premium upgrade confirms whether the car is stolen, financed, or written off. Together, that covers the major risk areas for half the price of the RAC online check alone.
The Verdict
The RAC is a trusted brand, and their physical inspection service is genuinely good for high-value purchases. Their online Car Passport, however, is just another Experian data wrapper at £9.99 with no MOT analysis, no running costs, and no reliability insight. CarCostCheck provides the same provenance data plus a full layer of ownership intelligence for £4.99. Use the saved £5 towards a tank of fuel.
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.