Vehicle History Guides
Plain-English UK buyer guides covering the risks a vehicle history check is built to catch.
Looking for service history guides instead? See service history guides.
What is a Vehicle History Check?
A plain-English UK guide to vehicle history checks: what they show, what they miss, and how much they cost.
How to Spot a Clocked Car
Mileage fraud is on the rise. Use free MOT data to detect a clocked odometer in 60 seconds.
Cat S vs Cat N: Write-Offs Explained
Insurance write-off categories A, B, C, D, S and N. What each means for safety, insurance and resale.
Outstanding Finance on a Used Car
HP, PCP, conditional sale and logbook loans. How to check and what to do if a marker comes up.
2026/27 Car Tax Bands Explained
Standard £200 rate, £440 Expensive Car Supplement, first-year CO2 bands and the older pre-2017 and pre-2001 systems.
Insurance Write-Off Categories Explained
Cat A, B, S, N and the legacy Cat C and Cat D in one place. Damage type, roadworthiness, finance and resale impact.
Cat N Write-Off Explained
A focused deep-dive on Cat N: damage types, insurance, finance and how to buy one safely.
Cat S Write-Off Explained
A focused deep-dive on Cat S: structural damage, DVLA re-registration, repair quality red flags and value impact.
MOT Exemption: The 40-Year Rolling Rule
How the 40-year exemption works, the V112 declaration, what counts as substantially changed, and what it does not free you from.
MOT Advisories Explained
Post-2018 defect categories, common advisory types, reading patterns across a history, and expected repair costs.
When Is My MOT Due?
Check the MOT due date for any UK car, plus the 1-month-minus-a-day early window, first-MOT rules and penalties.
Not sure where to start?
Run a free DVLA check first. Tax, MOT, mileage and identity in seconds. Upgrade to the paid Vehicle History Check only if you need risk data.
Run a free car check