Check a vehicle while you read
Enter a UK registration to see what ServiceByReg holds for it.
Free vehicle page first. Paid reports stay optional. See packages.
Why "a history check" is really several checks
People often ask for "a history check" as if it's one lookup, but the useful checks on a used car are really separate questions pulled from different sources:
- Outstanding finance: is money still owed on the car under a hire-purchase or PCP agreement, meaning the car isn't fully the seller's to sell?
- Write-off category: has an insurer declared the car a total loss, and if so, was it Cat N (non-structural) or Cat S (structural repair)?
- Stolen markers: has the vehicle ever been reported stolen and not recovered or resolved?
- Mileage consistency: do recorded readings climb steadily across MOT tests and service visits, or is there a jump or drop worth questioning?
Why outstanding finance matters most
Buying a car with finance still owed on it doesn't automatically make the sale illegal, but it can leave the buyer exposed: if the previous owner defaults, the finance company can in some circumstances repossess the car from whoever's driving it, even if that person bought it in good faith. A finance check flags whether an agreement is still recorded against the registration before that becomes your problem. A ServiceByReg report includes this alongside the other risk markers, so it's one check rather than several.
Putting it together
Each of these checks draws on a different data source (DVLA, insurers, finance houses), so no single free lookup covers all of them reliably. If you want finance status, write-off history and mileage checked together in one search, providers like MOTCO's outstanding finance check combine those markers into a single report.
Treat a clean report as one good sign among several, not the only thing that matters.
Common questions
How much does a vehicle risk check cost?
Free versions exist but usually only cover one marker or a limited data source. Paid reports combining finance, write-off and mileage in one search typically cost a small fixed fee, well below the cost of buying a car with a hidden problem.
Can I run a vehicle risk check without the owner's permission?
Yes. These checks use only the registration number and public/licensed data sources, so you don't need the current owner's consent to run one.
Check the car you are looking at
Enter a UK registration to see what ServiceByReg holds for it.
Free vehicle page first. Paid reports stay optional. See packages.