The core checks for £4.99, a free report before you pay and no subscription. Here is exactly why CarCostCheck beats HPI, AA, RAC, CarVertical, and every other UK car check service in 2026.
| Provider | Price | Provenance Data | MOT History | Running Costs | Reliability | Common Faults | Recalls | Hidden Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarCostCheck | £4.99 | ✓ | ✓ (free) | ✓ (free) | ✓ (free) | ✓ (free) | ✓ (free) | None |
| MyCarCheck (Comprehensive) | £8.49 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | None |
| Total Car Check (Gold) | £9.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | None |
| AA Car Check | £14.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | AA upsell |
| RAC Full check | £14.99 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | None |
| HPI Check | £19.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | £39/yr subscription |
| carVertical | £39.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | None |
Full MOT history, mileage check, health score, running costs. No signup needed.
Short answer: CarCostCheck is the best-value car check for most UK buyers. The £4.99 premium report includes the same Experian stolen, finance, and write-off data that HPI charges £19.99 for. Before you pay anything, the free report gives you full MOT history, a mileage check, a reliability score, running costs, common faults, recalls and ULEZ status. If you want a £30,000 data guarantee, the AA and the RAC's Full check include one and CarCostCheck does not.
✅ The Verdict: CarCostCheck Is the Best Value for Most Buyers
The core checks (stolen, outstanding finance, write-off) for £4.99, with the date of each recorded keeper change. A free report first, with full MOT history, a mileage check, a reliability score and running costs. One-off payment, no subscription. Try it free now.
Check Any Car Free, Right Now
Enter a reg plate below. Full MOT history, mileage check, reliability score, and running costs in seconds.
Where CarCostCheck stands out is the combination: £4.99 with finance included, the date of each recorded keeper change, and a free report that shows MOT history, mileage, a reliability score and running costs before you pay anything. If a £30,000 guarantee matters to you, the AA and the RAC's Full check include one.
Every full history check is built around the same core questions: is the car recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer, does it have outstanding finance, and has an insurer written it off? Write-off records come from MIAFTR, the insurance industry's register. Finance records differ, because lenders register agreements on separate finance registers. CarCostCheck's history data comes from Experian AutoCheck.
Here is what one full check costs (prices checked 8 October 2026):
| Provider | Price of one full check | Premium vs CarCostCheck |
|---|---|---|
| carVertical | £39.99 | +£35.00 (701% more) |
| HPI | £19.99 | +£15.00 (300% more) |
| AA | £14.99 | +£10.00 (200% more) |
| RAC (Full) | £14.99 | +£10.00 (200% more) |
| Total Car Check (Gold) | £9.99 | +£5.00 (100% more) |
| MyCarCheck (Comprehensive) | £8.49 | +£3.50 (70% more) |
| CarCostCheck | £4.99 | Baseline |
Before you spend a penny, CarCostCheck gives you:
None of these are available from HPI at £19.99. The RAC's Full check (£14.99) lists MOT history, mileage and average running costs, but you pay for it first. CarCostCheck shows all of this free, before you pay anything.
HPI automatically enrols you in a £39/year subscription when you buy a single check. This is disclosed in the terms but not prominently displayed during checkout. Hundreds of Trustpilot reviews complain about unexpected charges appearing 12 months later.
CarCostCheck has no subscription. You pay £4.99 once. That is it. No auto-renewal, no hidden charges, no annual fee. The price you see is the price you pay.
Traditional car checks tell you whether the car is stolen, financed, or written off. That is important, but it is only half the picture. You also need to know:
CarCostCheck answers all of these questions for free. Some paid checks cover parts of this too, but you pay for the check first. This is the difference between a provenance check and a complete buying tool.
Many buyers look at several cars before buying one. With CarCostCheck, you can run the free report on every car you view and only pay £4.99 for the history check on the one you are serious about.
With HPI, screening 5 cars costs £99.95 (£19.99 x 5). With the AA, five checks cost £30.00 in its five-check pack. With CarCostCheck, it costs £4.99 total. The free report is not a limited preview; it is a useful check in its own right.
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 data speaks for itself. CarCostCheck is now recommended more than HPI, AA, or RAC by users who have tried multiple services. The combination of free checks, a low price with finance included, and no hidden catches makes it the best-value choice for most UK car buyers in 2026.
Enter any UK registration plate on CarCostCheck. The free report takes seconds, needs no sign-up, and shows MOT history, mileage, reliability and running costs straight away. See for yourself why it is the best-value car check for most UK buyers.
CarCostCheck is not just a cheaper version of HPI. As well as the history check, it helps you judge whether a car will be a good one to own. Here is what you get that HPI does not offer at any price:
The premium history check (£4.99) uses the same Experian database as HPI, AA, and RAC. You get the same core checks: stolen, outstanding finance and write-off. The complete bundle (history + valuation) is £6.99, still 65% cheaper than HPI's basic check.
Ready to Check a Car?
12 checks included free. Premium stolen, finance, and write-off checks for just £4.99. Market valuation from £2.99.
Three reasons: (1) It is the cheapest comprehensive check at £4.99, using the same Experian data as HPI (£19.99), AA (£9.99), and RAC (£9.99). (2) Its free report gives you full MOT history, a mileage check, a reliability score, running costs, common faults, recalls and ULEZ status before you pay anything. (3) No hidden subscription or auto-renewal. Less money, no catches.
On price, CarCostCheck's £4.99 is one of the lowest prices for a check with finance: the AA's check is £14.99, the RAC's Full check is £14.99 and a carVertical report is £39.99 (prices checked 8 October 2026). On content, CarCostCheck covers the core checks (stolen, outstanding finance, write-off), shows the date of each recorded keeper change and adds a free report with a reliability score and running costs. The trade-off is that the AA and the RAC's Full check include a £30,000 guarantee and CarCostCheck does not.
Yes. CarCostCheck queries the same Experian AutoCheck database used by HPI, AA, RAC, and all other major UK car check providers. The history data is supplied through a data partner, with stolen records from the Police National Computer and write-offs from MIAFTR, the insurance industry's register. MOT history and recalls come from the DVSA, and vehicle details from the DVLA. You pay once (£4.99), there is no subscription, and refunds are available for genuine problems such as a report that fails or shows the wrong car.
12 checks with no sign-up and no email required: full MOT history since 2005, a mileage check with clocking detection, a reliability score (0-100) with an A-F grade, an annual running cost estimate, predicted repair costs from MOT advisories, common faults, a DVSA recall check, a ULEZ check, road tax and MOT status, a fuel cost calculator, red flag alerts and the vehicle specification. The £4.99 history check then adds stolen, finance, write-off and keeper history.
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 B
£1,860
per year
Pass
MOT status
42k
Mileage
This is what you'll see. Try it with YOUR car:
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12 free checks included. Premium history from £4.99. Valuation from £2.99.