IsItAGoodCar
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Everything Included in Our £8.99 Full Vehicle Check

Official Experian records cross-referencing UK finance agreements, police stolen registries, insurance write-off categories, and mileage anomalies.

Experian Finance & Provenance Police Stolen Registry Insurance Total Loss DVSA Mileage Anomaly £20,000 data guarantee
Data Points Explained

The 8 Critical Checks Every Buyer Needs

Discover what each check investigates, why it matters for your protection, and what a clear result looks like.

Outstanding Finance (HP & PCP)

Risk: 1 in 4 vehicles
What it checks:

Checks whether the vehicle is subject to an active Hire Purchase (HP), Personal Contract Purchase (PCP), or lease agreement with UK finance lenders via Experian.

Why it matters to buyers:

If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company remains the legal owner and can legally repossess the car. You lose both the vehicle and the cash you paid.

Example clear result:
Clear — No outstanding finance agreements recorded against VIN/VRM

Police Stolen Status

Risk: Loss of vehicle & money
What it checks:

Queries the Police National Computer (PNC) and National Stolen Auto register to verify if the car has been reported stolen or missing.

Why it matters to buyers:

Buying a stolen car gives you no legal ownership rights. Police can seize the vehicle immediately at any time without compensation or recourse.

Example clear result:
Clear — No police stolen or stolen asset markers recorded

Insurance Write-off Category (Cat A, B, C, D, S, N)

Risk: 1 in 12 vehicles
What it checks:

Checks whether an insurer has declared the car a total loss and assigned a structural (Cat S) or non-structural (Cat N) salvage category.

Why it matters to buyers:

Cat A and B cars are illegal to drive. Cat S and N cars carry structural or mechanical risk, cost significantly more to insure, and are worth 30% to 50% less than market value.

Example clear result:
Clear — No insurance total loss or write-off categories recorded

Odometer & Mileage Discrepancy Check

Risk: Odometer rollback
What it checks:

Analyzes official MOT mileage logs and salvage auction records to detect hidden odometer rollbacks, clocking, or data discrepancies.

Why it matters to buyers:

Clocked cars conceal wear and tear, leading to sudden breakdown risks, false valuations, and unexpected heavy maintenance costs.

Example clear result:
Verified — Odometer readings consistent across all records

Number Plate Transfer History

Identity verification
What it checks:

Lists every registration plate transfer, private plate change, and date of transfer recorded for the vehicle.

Why it matters to buyers:

Frequent plate changes can be used by unscrupulous sellers to disguise a car's identity, hide write-off history, or evade past traffic penalties.

Example clear result:
Verified — 1 previous plate change recorded (Private plate transfer 2022)

Import & Export Status

Provenance check
What it checks:

Confirms whether the vehicle was imported into the UK from overseas or recorded as permanently exported with the DVLA.

Why it matters to buyers:

Imported cars can be difficult or expensive to insure, may lack European safety standards, and often have unverified overseas history.

Example clear result:
Clear — Declared as UK manufactured / non-imported

Scrapped & Destruction Status

Safety critical
What it checks:

Checks if an official Certificate of Destruction (CoD) has been issued or if the vehicle has been marked as scrapped by the DVLA.

Why it matters to buyers:

Scrapped vehicles should never be resold or driven on public roads. Scrapped status indicates the shell should have been recycled.

Example clear result:
Clear — No scrap or Certificate of Destruction markers

Live Market Valuation & 30-Day Trend

Financial protection
What it checks:

Calculates live trade-in, private sale, and forecourt retail prices with a 30-day forecast based on real-time UK market transactions.

Why it matters to buyers:

Helps you negotiate with confidence and avoid overpaying for used vehicles at forecourts or private sales.

Example clear result:
Forecourt Retail: £12,450 · Private Sale: £11,100 · Trade-in: £9,800
Free vs Paid Breakdown

Comparison Grid: Free vs Extended History Check

Understand exact features in our free MOT lookup vs our full Experian check.

Vehicle Check Features
Free CheckBasic DVLA data
Most Popular
Powered by Experian
Extended Check (£8.99)
MOT status & expiry date
Full MOT history (pass/fail, advisories, failures)
MOT mileage recorded at each test
Odometer readings plotted vs UK average
Tax status & expiry
Make, model, year, colour
Engine size, fuel type, BHP, CO₂
Date first registered
Outstanding finance (HP/PCP)
Stolen status (Police National Computer)
Insurance write-off category (Cat A/B/C/D/S/N)
Odometer rollback & mileage anomaly check
Number plate change history
Import / export status
Scrapped status
Live market valuation with 30-day price trend
£20,000 data guarantee
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The same finance, stolen, and write-off data used by HPI, the AA, and RAC — at less than half the price.
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions