Car salvage check. Before you pay.
EVERY REPORT INCLUDES:
*Data provided by Experian
A repaired car can hide its past.
What is a car salvage check?
A car salvage check shows whether a car has been through a salvage auction, using records from an independent salvage data provider. Where a record exists, the report shows the auction date, the damage recorded, the mileage and the auction location, with links to the auction photos where available. It also checks write-off, stolen and finance records.
What the report shows
See the salvage record before you pay.
If the car has been through a salvage auction, the report lists the auction date, the damage recorded, the mileage and the auction location. The photos stay on the auction site, and the report links to them where available.
- The category, with the damaged areas marked on a car diagram
- Primary and secondary damage as the auction recorded it
- Links to the auction photos, where available
Damaged areas
- Front
- Left side (nearside)
- Auction date
- 12 March 2025
- Mileage at auction
- 48,200 miles
- Primary damage
- Front
- Secondary damage
- Left Side
- Auction location
- Midlands
- Reference
- EX-000482
Auction photos (6)
- Photo 1
- Photo 2
- Photo 3
- Photo 4
- Photo 5
- Photo 6
In a real report these link to the auction site, where the photos are hosted.
What a Salvage Check Shows
A car at a salvage auction has usually been damaged, recovered after theft or written off by an insurer. The photos show the damage before repair, which is why buyers want them.
Salvage Auction Records
If the car has been through a salvage auction, see the auction date, the primary and secondary damage, the mileage at auction and the auction location
Damage Diagram
The damaged areas are marked on a car diagram, so you can see where the damage was before you look at the photos
Auction Photos, Where Available
The report links to the auction photos where the auction site holds them. The photos are hosted by the auction site and open there
Visible Damage Check
Where photos exist, CarhealthAI inspects photos from earlier adverts and salvage records for damage and signs of past repair
What's Included in Your Salvage Check
How Carhealth compares to traditional vehicle check services.
Carhealth Report
from
£14.99
Standard checks
- Vehicle Tax Check
- MOT History (Full)
- Stolen Vehicle Check (data provided by Experian)
- Insurance Write-off Check (data provided by Experian)
- Mileage Verification
- Scrapped/Imported Status (data provided by Experian)
- Outstanding Finance Check (data provided by Experian)
Only with Carhealth
- AI Analysis
- Buyers Guide
- Maintenance Required
- Common Problems
Also in every report
- Salvage & auction records (data provided by Experian)
- Unrecorded damage
- Market value & 5-year forecast
- Safety recalls & NCAP rating
- Tax & ULEZ status
- Life expectancy estimate
- Previous adverts
- Service history & schedule
- Cost to own
- Negotiation brief
- Advert check
- Inspection checklist
- Ask the report
- Specification & options
Typical basic check
Standard checks
- Vehicle Tax Check
- MOT History (Full)
- Stolen Vehicle Check
- Insurance Write-off Check
- Mileage Verification
- Scrapped/Imported Status
- Outstanding Finance Check
Not included
- AI Analysis
- Buyers Guide
- Maintenance Required
- Common Problems
*Data provided by Experian
How it works
From registration plate to full report, instantly.
Step 1Enter your registration
Every UK car has a unique registration on its number plate or V5C logbook. Takes seconds to type in.
Step 2We search multiple sources
We pull from DVLA, DVSA, Experian, salvage auction records, and more, all at once.
Step 3Your report is ready
Your history report is ready instantly, covering finance, theft, mileage, accidents, and more.
Step 4Buy with confidence
Use your report to negotiate a better price, avoid hidden problems, and make a safe, informed purchase.
View sample report →
Everything inside a Carhealth report.
Our checks go far beyond the basics: the full picture, before you hand over any money.
Red flags
Sample report- Outstanding finance (data provided by Experian)Hire purchase
- Insurance write-off (data provided by Experian)Cat N, June 2025
- Stolen records (data provided by Experian)Closed record
- Salvage auction (data provided by Experian)Sold July 2025
- Mileage1 reading out of line
- Taxi or private hirePossible, TfL licence
Finance, theft, write-offs and clocking.
Outstanding finance (data provided by Experian)
Any finance agreement still recorded against the car, with the lender and agreement type.
Write-offs and theft (data provided by Experian)
Insurance write-off categories, police stolen records and the car's DVLA status.
Salvage and auction records (data provided by Experian)
Salvage auction history, with links to the auction photos where available.
Mileage checks
Every recorded reading over time, so you can see whether the mileage adds up.
Taxi and private hire
Whether the car has been licensed as a taxi or private hire vehicle.
See this for your car.
Enter the registration and your report is ready instantly.
Check my carView a sample report
*Data provided by Experian
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about car salvage check on Carhealth
A car salvage check shows whether a car has been through a salvage auction, using records from an independent salvage data provider. Where a record exists, the Carhealth report shows the auction date, the primary and secondary damage, the mileage at auction and the auction location, with links to the auction photos where available. The same report checks insurance write-off, stolen, outstanding finance, mileage and MOT records.
Not always. A car at a salvage auction has usually been damaged, recovered after theft, or written off by an insurer, but a salvage record is not an insurance verdict on its own. The write-off category (A, B, S or N), where there is one, tells you how serious the damage was. The Carhealth report shows salvage auction records and insurance write-off records as separate sections, so you can see both.
The photos show the damage before repair. That lets you compare what was damaged with the repair work you can see on the car, such as panel gaps, paint and replaced parts. If the damage in the photos does not match the repair, or the seller's account, ask questions or walk away. The report links to the photos where the auction site holds them. The photos are hosted by the auction site, so they open there.
They are the insurance write-off categories. Cat A must be scrapped. Cat B must be broken up, with only usable parts kept. Cat S means the structural frame or chassis was damaged. The car can be repaired and returned to the road. Cat N means the damage was not structural. The car can be repaired and returned to the road. Repaired Cat S and Cat N cars often sell for less, and some insurers charge more or decline cover. Your report explains the category where a record exists.
No. A clear result means the data provider holds no salvage auction record for that car. A car can be damaged and repaired without going through a salvage auction. That is why the report also checks insurance write-off and stolen records, and why the Visible Damage Check, where photos exist, has CarhealthAI look at photos from earlier adverts and salvage records for damage and signs of past repair.
You can, if you accept the risk and the price reflects it. Ask the seller for evidence of the repair, such as invoices and photos taken during the work, and have an independent inspector look at the car. Ask your insurer for a quote before you pay, because some charge more or decline cover for a car with a salvage or write-off history.
Looking for the insurance side? See the write-off check, or the Cat S and Cat N checks.
Related guides
Plain-English reading on this check, from the Carhealth blog.