How to find, inspect and pay for a used car in the UK without getting caught out.
Five of the best-known UK car history checks set against our 18 checks: what each costs, what it covers, what's free and how to avoid a subscription trap.
Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 30 Oct 2026
How to judge the used car in front of you before you pay: its logbook, MOT history, mileage, finance, write-off record and price, step by step.
Michał Żelazko· Updated 27 Oct 2026
High mileage puts many buyers off, but how a car was looked after matters more than how far it has gone. When the miles matter, and what to check.
Michał Żelazko· Updated 27 Oct 2026
Both check finance, theft, write-offs and mileage. They differ on price, valuation and guarantees. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Maciej Kalka· Updated 26 Oct 2026
carVertical covers cars with a history abroad. CarCanny focuses on UK records for less. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 26 Oct 2026
HPI names the lender and offers a guarantee. In our tests it didn't show MOT history or mileage readings. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Hubert Rachwalski· Updated 26 Oct 2026
vCheck has cheap entry tiers and salvage auction photos. CarCanny explains every result in plain English. Here's an honest side-by-side.
Michał Żelazko· Updated 26 Oct 2026
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