Checks to do before you buy a used car

Before you see the car, ask the seller for its registration, make and model, and MOT test number. GOV.UK’s steps for checking a used vehicle then start with three checks, each done with the registration. Citizens Advice notes that the first two are free.

What DVLA holds

Get vehicle information from DVLA to see its vehicle tax and when it runs out, whether it’s declared off the road (SORN), when its MOT expires, the date it was first registered, its engine size and its fuel type. Compare each with the advert and with what the seller has told you.

The MOT history

Check the MOT history to see whether each test was a pass or a fail, the mileage recorded at each one and when the next MOT is due. For tests in England, Scotland or Wales it also shows which parts failed and which had minor problems, and, with the 11-digit number from the log book (V5C), where each test was done.

Safety recalls

Check for safety recalls to see any recall for a serious safety problem that hasn’t been checked or fixed on the car. If there’s a problem, GOV.UK says to get the car fixed or replaced by the manufacturer, and you won’t usually pay for any repairs or parts.

Driving it into London? See the ULEZ for Surrey drivers too.

Follow the mileage from test to test, and compare the latest reading with the dashboard and the advert. Citizens Advice suggests asking the seller about any gaps in the MOT history, and not going ahead if you’re suspicious.

Note anything that failed or had minor problems, especially if it comes up at more than one test, and ask whether it has been fixed since. Our guide to MOT results explains what each kind of result means.

The MOT checks that important parts meet the legal standards, but GOV.UK says it doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. A clean history doesn’t tell you their condition.

When you see the car, ask for its log book, the V5C vehicle registration certificate. GOV.UK says to make sure that:

• it has a ‘DVL’ watermark
• its serial number isn’t between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or between BI2305501 and BI2800000
• the details in it match what you’ve been told
• the vehicle identification number and engine number on the car match the ones in the log book

A log book in either range might be stolen: GOV.UK says to call the police as soon as it’s safe to.

DVLA advises against buying a vehicle without a log book. Citizens Advice says to get the original, not a photocopy, and to report the seller to the police if the log book doesn’t match the car on DVLA’s records. If you’re buying privately, it suggests meeting at the seller’s home, so you have a record of their address if something goes wrong later.

Citizens Advice suggests that you:

• view the car in daylight, preferably when it’s dry
• take it for a test drive, once you’re sure you’re insured to drive it
• ask about its service history

It also suggests a private history check. That can show whether the car has been reported stolen, whether the seller still owes money on it, whether it has been in a serious accident or written off and put back on the road, and whether its mileage is correct.

The official checks tell you what the records say. To learn more about the car’s condition, you can post a pre-purchase inspection on Matchanic, at one of three levels:

• Basic pre-purchase inspection: usually a visual check of the bodywork, tyres and fluids, and a brief test drive.
• Intermediate pre-purchase inspection: usually everything in the basic level, plus a diagnostic scan and a closer inspection of the brakes, steering and suspension.
• Advanced pre-purchase inspection: usually a full inspection, with the car raised on a ramp.

Garages see only the level’s name, not these notes, so use ‘Anything else’ to say what you want looked at: something from the MOT history, a noise on your test drive, the engine, clutch or gearbox, or a written report. Enter the car’s registration and the postcode where it’s kept, and agree with the seller that a garage can see it. Garages on Matchanic can see your job and choose whether to quote.

An inspection reports what the garage finds on the day. It isn’t a guarantee of how the car will run later.

• Tax it. The seller’s vehicle tax doesn’t transfer to you. GOV.UK says to tax the car straight away, using the green ‘new keeper’ slip from the log book, or to declare it off the road (SORN) if you won’t drive it.
• Insure it. You must have insurance before you use the car on the road.
• Look out for the new log book. The seller usually registers the car to you, online or by post, and gives you the green slip. The new log book usually comes within 4 weeks, or within 5 to 7 working days if the seller did it online. Check every detail on it. If it hasn’t arrived after 4 weeks, contact DVLA, and do so before 6 weeks have passed.

DVLA’s check also shows when the MOT expires. If that’s soon, see our guide to when an MOT is due. You can post an ‘MOT test’ on Matchanic. In England, Scotland and Wales the test has to be done at an approved MOT test centre, and Matchanic doesn’t check whether a garage is one, so ask before you accept a quote.

Citizens Advice says that if a used car you’ve bought is damaged, doesn’t work or doesn’t match the advert or description, you might have a legal right to a repair, the cost of one, or some or all of your money back. You won’t be entitled to anything for a fault:

• you were told about, and had explained, when you bought the car
• you should have spotted when you inspected the car, such as a dent
• you caused
• that’s normal for how much the car has been used, known as ‘fair wear and tear’

So raise anything your checks or an inspection turn up before you pay. If you buy from a private seller, the car must match how it was described: Citizens Advice points to the Sale of Goods Act 1979. It calls auctions probably the riskiest way to buy, as you probably won’t have the legal protection you’d have buying from a trader, such as the right to returns and refunds. For your own situation, see Citizens Advice on problems with a used car.