Car History Check: Free MOT Report, Full History £4.99

A full car history check reveals whether the vehicle has been reported stolen, has outstanding finance, has been written off by an insurer, has had its mileage clocked, how many previous owners it has had, a VIN check, and the complete MOT test history. Our free check covers MOT analysis, mileage verification, and reliability scoring. The premium check at £4.99 adds stolen, finance, and write-off data from Experian.

If the car has outstanding finance, the lender may still have a claim on it. A private buyer who bought in good faith without knowing about the finance is usually protected by the Hire Purchase Act 1964, but not for every type of loan or for trade buyers, and sorting it out can take months. A stolen car will be seized by the police. A written-off car may have hidden structural damage. A clocked car will have hidden wear. A history check protects you from all of these risks.

The core of any car history check is stolen, finance and write-off data. We include all of that for £4.99, plus we add full MOT history analysis, reliability scoring, running cost estimates, common fault guides, and mileage clocking detection for free.

Free check data comes from DVSA (MOT History API) and DVLA (Vehicle Enquiry Service). Premium vehicle history data is provided by Experian AutoCheck, which brings together Police National Computer stolen records, Experian's finance register and MIAFTR write-off records. All government data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Yes. Our free check includes full MOT history analysis, mileage verification, reliability scoring, running costs, common faults and safety recalls. If you also want stolen, finance, and write-off checks, the premium upgrade is £4.99. It is a one-off payment with no subscription.

They answer different questions, so most buyers use both. The free MOT history shows the car's condition over time: every test result, the reasons for any failure, the advisories and the mileage recorded at each test. It cannot tell you whether the car is recorded as stolen, has outstanding finance or has been written off by an insurer; only a car history check covers those. Use the free MOT report to shortlist cars, then add the £4.99 history check on the car you plan to buy, before you pay.

There is no single right answer, but fewer owners generally suggests better care. A 5-year-old car with one owner is ideal. A 10-year-old car with 2-3 owners is normal. More than 5 owners in under 10 years could indicate problems. Our £4.99 check shows the exact number of keepers and the date of each recorded change of keeper.