Free car checks · honest guide
Free car history check: what's free, and what isn't
Some of a car's history is genuinely free to check. Some of it, the parts that can cost you the car, is licensed data that no honest service gives away. Here is exactly what falls into each, so you do not get caught out by a "free" check that leaves out what matters.
What you can check for free
These come from public MOT and DVLA data, so CarMate lets you check them for nothing. Do these first on any car.
MOT history
Every pass, fail, advisory and recorded mileage since the car was new.
Check freeMileage and clocking
The mileage readings from each MOT, so you can spot a drop that points to clocking.
Check freeDVLA basics
Make, model, year, engine, fuel, colour and tax status, straight from the plate.
Check freeWhat needs a paid check (and why)
Finance, write-off and stolen data is owned and licensed, from the finance houses, the insurance industry via Experian, and the police. Providers pay to access it, so it cannot be given away free like MOT data. This is the provenance that actually protects your money.
Outstanding finance
Whether the car is still on a finance agreement. The most important check on a private sale.
Insurance write-off
Whether it has been written off, and the category (Cat A, B, S or N).
Stolen and scrapped
Whether it is recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer, or scrapped.
Import, export and keepers
Plate transfers, import or export records and the number of former keepers.
The honest bit
We are not going to pretend a full history check can be free, it can't, for anyone. What we can do is make it good value: a CarMate History Check is £11.98 (2 credits), backed by a data guarantee from £10,000, and a Listing Check that reads the advert and price is 1 credit, with your first one free.
Free car check FAQs
Is there a free car history check?
Some parts of a car's history are genuinely free, and some are not. You can check the MOT history, recorded mileage, tax status and basic DVLA details (make, model, year, engine, colour) for free. The provenance data, outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen markers, comes from licensed sources like Experian and the police, and is not available free from any reliable source. A paid history check is the only dependable way to see those.
Can I check car finance for free?
Not reliably. Outstanding finance is recorded with the finance houses and accessed through licensed providers, so a genuine finance check is part of a paid history check. Free tools that claim to show finance are usually either incomplete or a way to funnel you to a paid product. Because finance is the check that can cost you the whole car, it is worth paying for.
Why can't finance, write-off and stolen checks be free?
That data is owned and licensed. Finance records come from the finance companies, write-off data from the insurance industry via providers like Experian, and stolen markers from the Police National Computer. Providers pay to access it, so it cannot be given away free the way public MOT and DVLA data can.
Is a free HPI check reliable?
Anything advertised as a completely free "HPI check" should be treated with caution. A real provenance check on finance, write-off and stolen status relies on licensed data that costs money to access, so a free version is usually limited, out of date, or a lead-in to a paid upsell. Use free tools for MOT and DVLA basics, and a proper paid check for the provenance that actually protects your money.