What Does an HPI Check Include? (And What It Misses)

Short answer: An HPI check covers stolen status, outstanding finance, write-off history, plate changes, keeper count, and a basic mileage check. It costs £19.99 and uses Experian data. What it does NOT include: MOT history, running costs, reliability scoring, common faults, recall checks, or insurance group data. CarCostCheck includes all of the above for £4.99 (premium) or free (basic checks).

HPI includes 6 checks for £19.99. CarCostCheck includes the same 6 checks plus 12 additional checks for £4.99 (with the 12 extras available free). The only thing HPI offers that CarCostCheck does not is the HPI Guarantee, which has a 1.3/5 rating on Trustpilot with frequent complaints about claims being rejected.

The 6 Things HPI Checks

1. Stolen Vehicle Check

Queries the Police National Computer (PNC) for theft records. If the car has been reported stolen, the check will flag it. This is one of the most important checks because buying a stolen car means losing both the car and your money when police trace it.

2. Outstanding Finance Check

Checks for PCP, HP, and secured loan agreements registered against the vehicle through Experian. If the car has finance, the finance company legally owns it regardless of who the registered keeper is.

3. Insurance Write-Off History

Shows whether the car has been classified as Category A (scrap), B (break), N (non-structural damage), or S (structural damage) by an insurance company. This is crucial for understanding the car's true value and safety.

4. Keeper Count and Changes

Shows how many registered keepers the car has had and when ownership changed. A high number of keepers in a short time can indicate problems.

5. Plate and Colour Changes

Flags whether the registration plate has been transferred or the vehicle colour officially changed. Plate changes can sometimes indicate identity fraud.

6. Basic Mileage Check

A basic mileage verification. However, this is far less detailed than the MOT-based mileage timeline that CarCostCheck provides for free, which plots every reading since 2005.

The 12 Things HPI Does Not Check

These are all included free on CarCostCheck:

1. Full MOT history: Every MOT test since 2005, including pass/fail results, advisories, and failure items. HPI does not show this.
2. MOT advisory trends: Analysis of which advisories are getting worse over time, predicting future failures and costs.
3. Detailed mileage timeline: Every MOT reading plotted on a graph, making clocking obvious at a glance.
4. Reliability score (0-100): A single number summarising the car's overall condition based on its complete history.
5. Annual running costs: Fuel, road tax, insurance, MOT, and predicted repair costs calculated for the specific vehicle.
6. Common faults: Known issues for the exact make, model, and year based on MOT data across thousands of identical vehicles.
7. Insurance group: The car's insurance group (1-50) with estimated annual premiums by age.
8. DVSA recall check: Whether the specific vehicle has outstanding manufacturer safety recalls.
9. ULEZ compliance: Whether the car meets Ultra Low Emission Zone standards.
10. Fuel cost calculator: Personalised annual fuel cost based on real-world MPG data.
11. Predicted repair costs: Estimated costs for advisories found in the MOT history.
12. Vehicle health grade (A-F): An easy-to-understand letter grade combining all the above data.

All 12 of these checks are available instantly with no sign-up and no payment. Enter any UK reg plate on CarCostCheck and see for yourself.

The HPI Guarantee: Is It Worth It?

HPI's main selling point beyond the data is the "HPI Guarantee," which promises compensation if the car turns out to be stolen or have finance that was not flagged. In theory, this is a safety net. In practice:

• HPI has a 1.3/5 rating on Trustpilot with hundreds of complaints
• Many reviewers report that guarantee claims were rejected on technicalities
• The guarantee only covers stolen and finance, not mechanical issues, damage, or mileage fraud
• To maintain the guarantee, you must not cancel the auto-renewing £39/year subscription

The guarantee sounds better than it is. For most buyers, the £15 saved by using CarCostCheck instead of HPI is better kept in your pocket than spent on a guarantee with poor reviews.

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.

Related Reading

• Cheapest HPI Check UK 2026: Every Provider Compared
• HPI Check Review 2026: Is It Still Worth £19.99?
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