What a paid HPI check actually covers
- <strong>Outstanding finance.</strong> Whether a lender still has a claim on the car, checked against a private finance register.
- <strong>Write off category.</strong> Whether an insurer previously declared it Cat N, Cat S, or an older Cat C/D, and repaired it for resale.
- <strong>Stolen marker.</strong> Whether the vehicle is currently logged as stolen on the Police National Computer.
- <strong>Mileage discrepancy flags.</strong> A cross check against odometer readings the provider holds on file, beyond what MOT records alone show.
- <strong>Plate change and import history.</strong> Previous registration numbers, and whether the car was ever imported.
Providers like HPI, the RAC and the AA all pull from broadly the same private and semi private data sources, and charge somewhere between about £3 for a basic check and around £20 for a fuller report with multiple checks bundled in.
What you can check for free right now
Two gov.uk tools cover a genuine slice of the picture, and neither needs the registration keeper's permission or any payment.
| Free tool (gov.uk) | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| MOT history checker | Every past MOT result plus the recorded mileage at each test, going back years | The single best free way to catch a clocked odometer, since a drop in recorded mileage between tests is a hard flag |
| Check vehicle tax and MOT status | Tax status, MOT expiry date, engine size, colour, year of manufacture, CO2 band | Confirms the basics match the advert, and that it's actually legal to drive away |
Run both before you even arrange a viewing. A mismatch between the advertised mileage and the last recorded MOT mileage is reason enough to ask hard questions, or walk away entirely.
Value, compare and close with DriveMe
Exact price, verified sellers and an AI assistant, right in the app.
The two things a free check can never show you
Outstanding finance sits on a private register that lenders pay to access, not on any public gov.uk page. Buy a car that still has a loan against it and, legally, the finance company can repossess it from you even though you paid full price in good faith and had no way of knowing. Write off history works the same way: insurers log Cat N and Cat S markers on a private industry database, not a public one.
Those two gaps are exactly what a paid check closes. For anything above a few hundred pounds, the £3 to £20 cost is trivial against the risk of either scenario.
Free steps that shrink the risk further
- Match the VIN on the V5C, the windscreen, and the door sill plate. A mismatch is a serious warning sign on its own.
- Ask for a finance settlement letter if the seller mentions a loan was ever taken out against the car, even one already paid off.
- Request the full service history and check the dates line up with no unexplained gaps.
- Cross check the advertised mileage against the free MOT history tool before you even reply to the advert.
None of this replaces a paid check on a car you're seriously about to buy. It just means you're not walking into the viewing blind, and you'll spot the worst listings before wasting a trip.
When it's worth paying anyway
Skip the paid check on a banger bought for scrap value or spares. Don't skip it on anything you'd actually miss the money on if it turned out to carry someone else's unpaid loan. A used car checklist covers the physical side of the inspection; a paid history check covers the side you can't see standing in a driveway.