Reply With QuoteSearch 'car history check' will give options for checking MOT history with DVLA and companies who will check for outstanding finance, accident damage etc
Morning all, following on from insurance for new driver question I now have questions about buying a car.
I’ve seen a reasonable car for sale on side of the rd, low mileage good service history and looks clean n tidy, what searches can I do to find out things seller might not tell me and how much will the searches cost. I’m only looking at a Fiesta for up to £3k so know it’s always going to be a bit of a punt.
Anyone offer a bit of advice or recommend a company to do searches please?
Regards
Justin44
Search 'car history check' will give options for checking MOT history with DVLA and companies who will check for outstanding finance, accident damage etc
There are a few apps that will check MOT history from a reg No.... not a bad place to start
Also check out the honest John website for the good and the bad on the car you're looking at including insurance and running costs.
Check out road tax as well
Mot history is the best thing to look at. It will give you an indication of how it's been kept.
Word of warning - the Z-Tec engine needs a timing belt at 10 years / 100K miles so factor that in.
Also, looks for failures / advisories relating to rust.
If you get as far as inspecting the car, have a look at the driver's side top mount. If it's been serviced by a half way decent garage, it'll be packed with grease.
Good luck
Last edited by Dave O'Sullivan; 16th August 2019 at 19:28.
I found this very helpful in my pursuit for an old Range Rover, it doesn't take long to get the feel of how a motor has been maintained over the years.Originally Posted by Suds
You can check the car's MOT history at at https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
And if planning to buy, then a cheap but comprehensive HPI check can be had at https://www.carveto.co.uk/ for £12.50. You then get a voucher from them for a second check for £4.99 in case the first car turns out to be a bag of nails.
No connection to Carveto, just a happy customer, used them several times.
Just had a look at the CarVeto site and I can't see anything that suggests that they are in any way associated with HPI...
I have no links to this site but it has been getting more and more recommended over the normal hpi checks as they also scan the salvage auctions. Not all cars get put on the insurance register apparently as it is not compulsory for them to be added by the insurance companies.
https://www.vcheck.uk/
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OK, "HPI like" check. Plenty of info re MOT history (available from gov link anyhow), engine/chassis numbers, finance, insurance claims category, stolen, scrapped etc.
https://www.carveto.co.uk/how-to-buy-a-used-car/
Or you can pay £20 for an original HPI if you wish. Either way, cheap peace of mind even on a £3k car.
Cheeky way to check for insurance write-off status is input the car reg on Autotrader and list it for sale as your own vehicle, just use suggested price, approx. mileage etc. Then before you click to pay & list, it shows the advert for approval and will say if it`s a Cat A, B, C, S, or N.
MyCarCheck is a cheaper alternative to HPI, think it's a fiver for the all-in finance and insurance info.
Best advice would be get someone who really knows cars to look over anything you are seriously close to buying.
The big difference with the "real" HPI check is the level of indemnity insurance included if there are any inaccuracies later found in the information they provide.
(It does happen, as the organisations like HPI just aggregate data from a number of different sources. When I was selling my Z4M, the buyer carried out a HPI check which showed that it had previously been a write off. This was incorrect, but the insurance company involved had confused it with another Z4 which had also carried the same personal plate - all before my ownership. I had to get the insurance company to update the MID database, when then fed through to HPI).
When you do the MOT check, keep in mind that when you put your car into the garage for an MOT and there is an issue that needs rectification, even if the garage repairs it immediately and then passes the MOT the same/next day, the defect will still be recorded on the MOT system, so keep your eye on the dates.
Speak with AndyG, a couple of members here helped him check his Porsche details out and pinpoint the car location using EXIF from the images he posted. Proper pros..
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