Car history check

Vehicle history check answers

Hidden History is for a UK buyer who needs more than a walk-around before paying for a used car. VehicleScore® is not an HPI check and this page does not call it the best or the cheapest history check.

The free registration check includes MOT history, Tax or SORN status, MOT mileage timeline, Vehicle details, VehicleScore® /999. Hidden History is the paid full vehicle history check at £13.95. Consumer packs are 2 for £16.95, 3 for £19.95, 5 for £25.95. Service history is a separate check at £8.95.

Before buying, confirm identity, MOT, tax and mileage on the free check. Buy Hidden History when finance, write-off, stolen or salvage records matter. Add the service history check only if you need dealer service records. A blank section means no matching record was returned. The report does not inspect the car. The £10,000 Experian data cover has terms, eligibility and claim limits.

Published comparisons, using each provider’s own pages, are on the CarVertical alternative, HPI alternative, Motorscan alternative, VCheck alternative and Total Car Check alternative pages. UK prices are on pricing. VehicleScore does not publish a ranking of the best or cheapest UK history check. Those pages compare published product facts only.

How to check a used car before you buy

Outstanding finance has its own page at finance check. Write-off categories are on the write-off check. The buying guide explains which records to read before you pay for a used car.

What the paid report checks

One Hidden History report is £13.95. Where the provider returns a record, it can show:

• Outstanding finance
• Insurance write-off category
• Stolen markers
• Salvage auction records and images where held
• VIN confirmation
• Colour and plate changes
• Previous keeper count
• Import and export flags
• Market valuation

The report includes £10,000 Experian data cover. Guarantee covers the specific verified data points included in the VehicleScore® Guarantee programme, including theft, write-off, salvage, outstanding finance and selected title/history records. Terms, eligibility requirements and claim limits apply.

It does not inspect the car, book an MOT, take a tax payment, check whether the car is insured, or list manufacturer recalls. It does not name previous keepers. Dealer service records are a separate service history check.

What a vehicle history check is

A car history check is for buyers who need more than a walk-around and a valid MOT. It asks whether the car still belongs to a lender, whether it has been recorded stolen, whether an insurer wrote it off, and whether it has appeared at salvage auction.

VehicleScore® splits that into two steps. First you run a free registration check and land on the VehicleScore® dashboard. Then you can buy a Hidden History Check if you need finance, stolen, write-off or salvage records before you pay for the car. Buying an electric car is the same history question, plus range, battery warranty and charging. That sits on the EV Check.

What the free VehicleScore® includes

The free check uses the same registration lookup as the homepage. After we recognise the plate you see:

• A VehicleScore® out of 999, with make and model context where we have it
• Current MOT status, expiry, passes, fails and advisories. For that record on its own, use the free MOT check.
• Tax or SORN status
• Core specification such as make, model, fuel type and colour
• MOT mileage readings plotted over time

The free dashboard does not reveal outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off categories or salvage auction records. Those sit in the paid Hidden History Check. Verified dealer service records are a separate product — see the service history check.

What the paid Hidden History Check includes

Hidden History is the full vehicle history report. Depending on the records held for that registration, it can show:

• Outstanding finance agreements, including agreement type and finance company when the data provider returns them
• Stolen markers, including status and police force details when present
• Insurance write-off category (Cat A, B, S or N) when recorded
• Salvage auction history and salvage images where we hold them
• Previous keeper count and last keeper-change date
• Import and export flags
• VIN confirmation, colour changes and previous number plates
• An eight-point market valuation. For a free estimate from similar cars, use the free car valuation.
• £10,000 Experian data cover. Terms, eligibility and claim limits apply

Not every field appears on every vehicle. The report only shows data the providers return for that registration.

Free VehicleScore® vs Hidden History

Outstanding finance

If a car is still on hire purchase, PCP or another finance agreement, the lender usually remains the legal owner. Paying the seller does not always clear that debt. Read the outstanding finance check for HP and PCP risks, and what the report actually lists.

Stolen markers

A stolen marker means the vehicle has been recorded as stolen on the industry data we receive. It is not a live police terminal and it does not prove who is entitled to sell the car. See what a stolen marker means and what to do if one appears.

Insurance write-off history

Insurers use categories A, B, S and N when a car is written off. That is different from a salvage auction sighting. A car can have one, both, or neither. Understand Cat A, B, S and N before you buy a repaired write-off.

Mileage history

The free dashboard already plots MOT odometer readings. Sudden drops or long gaps are worth questioning. They do not prove clocking on their own. How we use MOT mileage to spot clocking.

Previous keepers

Hidden History can show how many previous keepers are recorded and the date of the last keeper change. It does not list keeper names or addresses. A high keeper count is a prompt to ask more questions, not proof the car is a problem.

Import and export

The paid report can flag whether the vehicle is recorded as imported or exported. It does not list customs duty or taxes paid.

Salvage history and auction images

Salvage records come from auction and salvage-yard sightings. Where we hold them, the report can include lot date, location, damage description, recorded mileage and salvage images. Why salvage history is not the same as a write-off.

VehicleScore® out of 999

The free score is VehicleScore®’s own rating. It is not an MOT result and it is not a finance clearance. Use it to compare similar cars, then open Hidden History when you are close to buying.

A history check does not list the equipment the specification came with. That sits on the separate factory spec check, and it is not a substitute for finance, write-off or stolen records.

If you were looking for an HPI check

HPI is another company’s vehicle history product. VehicleScore® is not HPI, is not an HPI check, and is not affiliated with that brand.

People searching for an HPI-style check usually want the same categories Hidden History covers: finance, stolen markers, write-offs and related title history. VehicleScore® also adds its own score, MOT mileage timeline, and salvage auction records with images where available. We do not claim to be the same service, or to be more accurate than HPI. See the HPI Check alternative page for a factual comparison.

What to do when a problem is found

1. Do not transfer money until you understand the record.
2. Ask the seller for written evidence — a finance settlement letter, repair invoices, or proof a stolen record has been closed.
3. For write-off or salvage history, get an independent inspection before you commit.
4. If a current stolen marker appears, stop the purchase and contact the police. Do not confront a seller in person.
5. Walk away if the paperwork does not match the report.

Checking more than one car

If you are comparing a shortlist, or you need checks for stock, you can buy Hidden History packs and use the credits within 12 months. See Hidden History packs for buyer and dealer pricing.