Have you ever found yourself wondering about what a car check is and how it works? In many cases, finding the optimal solutions for your own vehicle-buying goals can seem tricky, but this shouldn’t have to be the case. With this thought in mind, today, we’re looking at what it means to do a car history check – and how this might protect your own purchase, too.

What Does it Mean to Do a Car Check?

A car check is a report that’s typically carried out on a vehicle before purchasing it. This type of verification is especially important when buying a car from a private seller as it reveals the detailed history of a car – checking the authenticity of cars sold through a dealer will still give you extra confidence as the buyer. The check will look for vehicle historical data including any written off, stolen or outstanding finance details.

What Does a Car History Check Cover?

A car history check (sometimes just referred to as a car check) is designed to offer a rundown of a vehicle’s past MOT history and financing. This allows you to see important information about the car. This can include what it previously passed / failed on, the vehicle’s mileage, and so on. It also provides details of financing information, including whether the vehicle’s finance is outstanding and who the financing company is.

Why People Do Car Checks

There are several different reasons why people do car checks, and there’s no single reason people give this a try. However, some of the most common reasons that people do car checks before buying a new car include:

• Checking the vehicle is 100% owned: If you buy a vehicle with outstanding finance, you’ll become liable for paying off that debt.
• Verifying mileage: If you have any concerns about the authenticity of a vehicle’s mileage numbers (or if you just want extra confidence in your purchase), vehicle checks allow you to make sure that the car’s mileage is being quoted accurately.
• Check insurance: The history report will use askmid to reveal if the car is currently insured.
• See past MOT information: Don’t get caught out buying a vehicle that’s had lots of problems. A vehicle history check allows you to see past MOT history and information about whether the car is a write-off, so you know what the car’s been through.
• Check for ownership: A vehicle history check will let you know if the vehicle in question has likely been stolen – ensuring you don’t end up buying a car that’s not the seller’s in the first place.
• Stolen car check: The report will reveal if the car is currently recorded stolen on the police national database or insurance companies.

These are just a handful of potential reasons you might need a vehicle check. Fortunately, these checks only take a few minutes to complete and are incredibly affordable to carry out – so is it worth the risk of buying a new car without running the check first?

Find the Right Solutions for your Next Purchase

Buying a new vehicle is never an easy feat, but if you ask us, this shouldn’t have to be something that prevents you from getting the most out of your new buy. Luckily, with a car history check, you can quickly and easily ascertain whether your new vehicle is likely to be a good purchase (or if you’re being ripped off for what the car is).