Safe Car Check
Used Car Buying Guides
The questions people ask before they buy a used car, answered properly. No jargon, no scare stories, and sources you can check.
Paperwork · 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Buying a car without a V5C: is it safe?
It is legal, but DVLA says see the log book first. What you lose without it, how to register with a V62, the serial numbers on stolen V5Cs, and the red flags that outweigh any excuse.
Read the guideBuying guide · 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
How to check if a car has been in an accident
No UK database records every accident. The three layers that catch most of them: the write-off register, the MOT history, and a ten-minute inspection anyone can do.
Read the guideBuying guide · 11 October 2026 · 6 min read
How many previous owners is too many?
A rule of thumb by age, why keepers are not owners, the patterns that actually signal a problem, and what to cross-check against the MOT and finance records.
Read the guideBuying guide · 10 October 2026 · 6 min read
Is a car history check worth it?
What the free GOV.UK checks show, what they miss, and when a paid check is worth the money. The three records that can cost you the whole car.
Read the guideFinance · 10 October 2026 · 7 min read
Buying a car with outstanding finance
Who legally owns a financed car, what protection a private buyer has under the Hire Purchase Act, how to settle finance safely at the point of sale, and what to do if you find out too late.
Read the guideMOT · 10 October 2026 · 6 min read
How to read a car's MOT history
Mileage patterns, advisories, dangerous and major defects, gaps and test centres: how to read the free DVSA record like a mechanic and spot the red flags.
Read the guideWrite-offs · 10 October 2026 · 9 min read
What does Cat S mean on a car?
Category S write-offs explained: what counts as structural damage, Cat S vs Cat N, V5C rules, how much value it knocks off, insurance, and whether to buy one.
Read the guideBuying guide · 6 March 2026 · 8 min read
How to check car history in the UK
The complete pre-purchase guide: stolen checks, outstanding finance, write-off history, mileage fraud and MOT history, and what a paid report adds to the free tools.
Read the guideWant to know what each check in the report actually looks at? See all vehicle checks explained.
Reading About a Car You Are About to View?
Enter the registration and get the write-off, finance, stolen, mileage and MOT history in one PDF before you go.
Check a Vehicle Now£9.99 Just £4.99 - instant PDF report
