Vehicle History Check

Don't risk making a mistake, trust the RAC

Get peace of mind with the UK's most comprehensive car history check

1 in 3 cars we check have a hidden history
1 in 11 cars show inaccurate mileage
1 in 5 cars have had at least one plate change

Get an instant Vehicle History Check today

If you're buying a used car, it's important to get a car data report like the RAC Vehicle History Check. We use data from HPI, who've been checking vehicle history since 1938. And we combine this with our breakdown data, to make sure you know everything about the car you're looking to buy.

Plus every report includes discount vouchers worth up to £55 for selected driving accessories in the RAC Shop. So you get even more peace of mind when you buy.

Did you know 1 in 5 cars that've had a vehicle check have had at least one plate change? This can sometimes be done to hide the vehicle's past. A car check will tell you whether the VRM and VIN match the DVLA records. If they don't, the seller might be trying to hide problems with the car.

View a sample report

Looking to buy or sell a car? Check out RAC Cars to buy and sell
used cars with confidence.

Up to

£55

of RAC Shop
vouchers

Why should I get a vehicle check?

Get peace of mind before buying with a full car check powered by HPI, including 13 alerts for issues like outstanding finance, theft, write-offs, mileage discrepancies, and more.

You'll also get:

A detailed vehicle tax check
MOT failure data and common breakdown issues based on RAC insights
Average running costs
Up to £30,000 data guarantee*
RAC Shop vouchers worth up to £55^

*T&Cs apply.

Choose the right check for you

Up to £55 to spend at RAC Shop^

£55

£35

RAC exclusive breakdown data

Finance agreement details

Mileage discrepancies

MOT history

£30,000 data guarantee (on qualifying claims)*

Write-off details

Number of previous owners

CO₂ emissions

Vehicle tax information

Recorded as scrapped

Total cost of ownership

Full plate-change history

Estimated fuel cost

Reported stolen

An insurance write-off

Imported / exported

Has outstanding debt



Up to £55 to spend at RAC Shop^ Save on dashcams, Autoglym products, car mats and European driving kits.	£55 savings	£35 savings	Not included
RAC exclusive breakdown data View common problems and MOT faults using RAC exclusive breakdown data.	Included	Included	Not included
Finance agreement details Details of finance agreement including date, agreement type and finance company.	Included	Included	Not included
Mileage discrepancies If the mileage reading doesn't match that of the last MOT this indicates a mileage discrepancy.	Included	Included	Not included
MOT history Full MOT history allows you to view any prior issues.	Included	Included	Not included
£30,000 data guarantee (on qualifying claims)* This protects you against financial losses from potential incorrect vehicle alert information.	Included	Included	Not included
Write-off details Once a vehicle is written-off, a Vehicle Identity Check is placed against its DVLA record.	Included	Included	Not included
Number of previous owners Several owners may indicate a problem with the vehicle, so we provide an accurate figure that reflects available records.	Included	Included	Not included
CO₂ emissions Details on CO₂ emissions for each vehicle.	Included	Included	Not included
Vehicle tax information View the latest information about the tax band for a specific vehicle.	Included	Included	Not included
Recorded as scrapped One of the alerts shows you whether the vehicle has been registered with the DVLA as having been scrapped.	Included	Included	Not included
Total cost of ownership An estimate of how much it will cost to buy and run a vehicle. This may include the purchasing price, the tax and the insurance.	Included	Included	Not included
Full plate-change history A car's plates can be changed in its lifetime. Though fairly common, it can sometimes be used to hide the vehicle's past.	Included	Included	Not included
Estimated fuel cost Calculated using 12k miles per year and combined fuel consumption figure.	Included	Included	Not included
Reported stolen If the V5 document accompanying a vehicle is part of a stolen batch, you can't trust the legitimacy of the vehicle.	Included	Included	Included
An insurance write-off A vehicle may still be repaired after it has been written off. If it has, you need to see proof that the car is now deemed safe to drive.	Included	Included	Included
Imported / exported This will show whether or not your vehicle has been recorded as either imported or exported.	Included	Included	Included
Has outstanding debt See whether or not there was any outstanding debt linked to your vehicle before you purchased it. (Only basic details on basic check.)	Included	Included	Included

What to look for when you're buying a new car

Outstanding Finance: 24% of vehicles that undergo a vehicle history check have outstanding finance. That usually means the owner was paying for the car in instalments, and hasn't paid off the full value. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, you might have to pay to settle the debt or return the car.
Theft: ONS data shows that, on average, over 260 vehicles are stolen every day in England and Wales^^. Buying a stolen car doesn't transfer ownership; it may be uninsured, illegal to drive, seized and could lead to prosecution.
Damaged Past: In an RAC study* of over 32,000 used car sales, 14.2% were insurance write-offs. 27.5% changed their number plates which can be used to hide past damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

: To find out if a vehicle is insured just go to the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) website and enter the reg number. The MIB is the only central record of all insured vehicles in the UK, so it'll tell you if that vehicle is insured. Remember, if you're buying a used car you'll need to buy insurance to drive it away.
: You can check a vehicle's tax status for free on the GOV.UK website using the registration number. This will tell you when tax is due and whether the vehicle currently has valid road tax.
: An RAC Vehicle History Check will flag whether a vehicle has been reported stolen against the Police National Computer. This is one of the 13 alerts included in every Full Check and Multi Check.
: Enter the vehicle registration into the reg input at the top of this page. You'll see a summary of the car before you purchase the full report, which includes MOT, mileage, finance, write-off and plate-change history.
: Use the free DVLA vehicle enquiry service on GOV.UK to confirm the make, model and tax status of a registration. For a full history, run a paid RAC Vehicle History Check.
: Insurance write-off records appear on every RAC Vehicle History Check. These show whether the vehicle has been categorised as a Cat A, B, S or N write-off at any point in its history.