Check if a vehicle is stolen or has outstanding finance
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Up to £30,000 data guarantee
27 point independent report
Over 10,000 checks completed per month
Why get a vehicle check?
1 IN 10 VEHICLES WERE RECORDED AS AN INSURANCE WRITE OFF*
1 IN 6 VEHICLES HAD OUTSTANDING FINANCE RECORDED*
79,390 VEHICLES WERE REPORTED AS STOLEN IN 2020**
* Checks carried out on vehicle check in 2020. ** Vehicles registered as stolen on the Police National Computer in 2020.
What does a vehicle check tell you?
Our vehicle check will tell you everything you need to know about the vehicle and it’s history. Some of the details provided include:
Key information
- Reported stolen
- Outstanding finance
- Written off
- Scrapped
- Plate changes
- Imported/exported
Specification
- Make
- Model
- Transmission
- Fuel type
- Body type
- Engine capacity
Vehicle data
- Engine number
- Year of manufacture
- Date first registered
- CO2 emissions
- Environmental report
- VIN confirmation
View sample report
What do you get with our vehicle check?
Peace of mind
Our vehicle check confirms that the car you're buying comes exactly as advertised. We do this by comparing the information from the advert against a range of trusted sources.
Fraud Protection
Once you’ve run a check, you can confirm the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This allows us to make sure that there are no issues with the vehicle’s identity, like fraud or ‘cloning’.
£30,000 Data Guarantee
We’ll give you the most accurate data we can. If any detail in the report is incorrect, we provide a guarantee of up to £30,000 so you don't lose out. Learn more about our data guarantee
What does it cost?
Our vehicle check provides you with an instant history report, so there are no costly surprises if you do decide to buy. The report includes, but is not limited to:
- Information on whether a used vehicle has been stolen or scrapped
- Any outstanding finance attached to the vehicle
- Mileage discrepancies which could be a sign of mileage fraud
Vehicle check report
£4.95
per check
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Your questions answered
You should inspect a used car inside and out, and look for any signs of damage, cloning or anything suspicious.
If you want to check the car even more thoroughly and go the extra mile for your peace of mind, you can purchase our full 26-point Vehicle Check, which provides a complete background history of the car.
Once you’ve made sure the car’s history is clean and it’s safe to purchase, you should ask the seller if the car’s had a regular MOT test, and ensure that the car comes with all necessary documents, listed here.
You can check a car’s history for free on Auto Trader. All vehicles listed on Auto Trader undergo a free, five-point car check, based on the registration supplied. The check covers whether a car has been stolen, scrapped, written off, imported, or exported – the car’s results are shown on the advert on Auto Trader. You can read our terms and conditions here.
If you want to know more about a vehicle’s background, you can buy a full Vehicle Check which covers key information like number of previous owners, colour changes, outstanding finance and risk of third-party trace. It also includes full vehicle specs like colour, number of gears and engine capacity, alongside vehicle data like the engine number, date of registration and CO2 emissions. You also get a data guarantee worth up to £30,000 if you purchase our full Vehicle Check for £4.95.
Getting a vehicle check can be worth it, as buying a car can be a big investment of your money and a long-term commitment. It’s important that you buy a car that’s safe and matches the description as what’s promised, especially when it comes to used cars to minimise the risk of getting a damaged, stolen or clocked car.
Vehicle Check at Auto Trader does a number plate check and uses information from various trusted sources, including the police database, DVLA, insurance companies and finance houses. This information provides you with a complete picture of the vehicle’s background to help you make an informed purchase decision about the car.
You can carry out a Vehicle Check on Auto Trader in two simple steps:
- Enter your number plate and sign-up on Auto Trader.
- Register your personal details and your method of payment (don’t worry - we don’t store your payment details to keep them secure).
That’s it! Once the payment has been made, you’ll get your Vehicle Check Report which provides you with all details about the car’s history. You can access this report any time and as many times as you want.
Auto Trader’s Vehicle Check provides a full environmental report for the car, including data related to CO2 emissions, the year of manufacture, and annual road tax rate.
These car details are becoming increasingly important as the government and local councils are taking measures to reduce transport emissions by introducing clean air zones (CAZ) and ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ).
Using Vehicle Check, you can find out if the used car passes the CO2 level requirements of the area you live in and how it’ll impact your carbon footprint.
Celebrating over 40 years in the industry
Since 1977, we’ve helped millions of people find their perfect car. Together with manufacturers and retailers, we constantly strive to make car-buying easier.
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