Your free car check

What are the experts saying?

Why everyone should check their car before buying

Even if you’re a savvy car buyer who performs your own research and is extremely cautious about the used car you are planning to buy, things can still go wrong.

You might fail to uncover some hidden costs or paperwork related to the car, or perhaps you didn’t check for any outstanding mechanical issues with the vehicle that could lead to dire future consequences. It happens more often than you think.

Research has shown that almost one-fifth of used cars have undisclosed issues that make them unsafe to drive. For this reason, most experts recommend that UK citizens should carry out some form of DVLA car check or reg check.

Fortunately, we can do this for you. All you need to do is type in your car’s registration number into our free car check and you can avoid these potential pitfalls when buying a used car. Nobody wants an unreliable vehicle that ends up costing much more than you bargained for.

What you should check before buying

You can use a car reg check to find out if the car has been listed as stolen, if there are any outstanding fines, liens, or recalls associated with the car, or if the car’s title history shows any issues.

A car reg check can also tell you if the car is still under warranty or if the current owner has made any modifications to the car that could affect its value. A car reg check can help you avoid unpleasant surprises and false starts, especially if you are planning to buy a used car that you don’t plan on driving right away.

Using our free car check you can get a detailed picture of the car’s history with our car history timeline, in addition to a full MOT and road tax status report. For detailed financial and past accident information have a look at our basic and comprehensive checks.

What you should expect to pay in running costs

In addition to upfront costs, running costs should have a significant bearing on your purchase decisions. You'll need to factor in things like insurance, maintenance, fuel, and other associated costs such as emissions zone charges.

On average, a car costs £3,000 per year to run in the UK, with between £200 and £300 spent each month on running costs. Fuel costs can add up quickly, with drivers spending an average of £1400 a year on fuel alone.

Maintenance is another costly factor, with drivers spending an average of £300 per year repairing and maintaining their vehicle. Insurance costs can vary dramatically, especially for used cars, with the average car costing £500 a year to insure.

Any unforeseen issues can lead to this value skyrocketing. Included with our free car check, our running cost estimator can provide you with accurate predictions of these costs, so you’re not left with any nasty surprises after purchasing your vehicle.

Additionally, we’ll cross reference your vehicle’s information with the requirements of all emissions charging zones in the UK, so we can tell you exactly how much you can expect to pay in emissions charges.