Step 01
Enter your registration
Every UK car has a unique registration on its number plate or V5C logbook. Takes seconds to type in.
Check Any Used Car by Make
Finance, write-off, mileage, stolen and full MOT history — for every UK make and model. £14.99, results in 60 seconds. No subscription.
★4.8/ 327 reviewsView a sample report →
- 01Outstanding finance
- 02Mileage rollbacks
- 03Theft, salvage & auction
- 04Write-off & Category
Why a history check matters before buying used.
Every used car on sale in the UK has a documented history — MOT records, finance agreements, insurance write-off markers, and odometer readings — but that information is not automatically visible to a buyer. Private sellers are not legally obliged to disclose outstanding finance, and some deliberately obscure accident damage or mileage discrepancies.
A Carhealth history check (£14.99) queries the national finance register, DVSA MOT records, police stolen databases, and insurance write-off files, then synthesises the data into a clear, instant report. It covers every UK make and model. The guides below provide make-specific context: what to look out for on a used Ford, what the common issues are on a used BMW, and which model buyer's guides to read before viewing a car.
Browse by make
Select a make to read the buying guide, common issues, and run a check.
What a Carhealth check covers
One report. Every risk category. £14.99, results in 60 seconds.
Finance Check
~1 in 5 used cars has outstanding HP or PCP finance. Buying one can mean the lender repossesses it — even from an innocent buyer.
Write-Off Check
Insurance write-offs are common in the used market. Cat S structural damage and Cat N cosmetic damage both affect value and insurance.
Mileage Verification
Clocking — rolling back the odometer — is an ongoing problem across all makes. We cross-reference DVSA MOT records to spot inconsistencies.
Stolen Check
Buying a stolen vehicle is a serious risk. Our check queries police databases to confirm the car has no active stolen marker.
How it works
From registration plate to full report — in under a minute.
Step 02
We search multiple sources
We pull from DVLA, DVSA, police databases, insurance records, auction houses, and more — all at once.
Step 03
Your report is ready
A comprehensive history report is generated within minutes, covering finance, theft, mileage, accidents, and more.
Step 04
Buy with confidence
Use your report to negotiate a better price, avoid hidden problems, and make a safe, informed purchase.
View sample report →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about used car history checks on Carhealth
Different makes carry different risk profiles in the used market. Ford Fiestas and VW Golfs cycle through PCP agreements at high volume, making finance checks especially critical. BMW and Audi models are disproportionately represented in mileage fraud cases due to their high residual values. Knowing the make-specific risks helps you ask the right questions — and a Carhealth history check (£14.99) addresses all of them in one report.
Yes. Carhealth runs history checks against DVLA, DVSA, the national finance register, police stolen databases, and insurance write-off records for any UK-registered vehicle, regardless of make or model. Enter the registration number to get a full report. The guides on this page are make-specific introductions — the report itself covers every car on UK roads.
The Carhealth report includes outstanding finance check (HP and PCP), insurance write-off status (Cat A, B, S, N), mileage verification against lifetime MOT history, stolen vehicle check, MOT history (full advisory and failure record), DVLA keeper and registration data, salvage and auction records, and an AI analysis that surfaces potential concerns. Results arrive within 60 seconds.
No — you just need the registration plate. Enter it on the Carhealth homepage and the report is generated instantly. The make, model, colour, engine size, and first registration date are all confirmed within the report from DVLA records.
The DVLA's free vehicle enquiry service confirms basic information (tax status, MOT expiry, colour, and engine size) but does not show outstanding finance, write-off status, stolen flags, or full MOT advisory history. Carhealth's paid report (£14.99) covers all of these, plus mileage verification and AI analysis — data that is simply unavailable from DVLA for free.