How to check a used car before you buy
8 min read · Updated 1 July 2026
Nine out of ten private-sale disputes come down to something the buyer could have caught in fifteen minutes. Here's the exact checklist we'd use before handing over a penny.
1. Before you go to see the car
Ask the seller for the vehicle registration (VRM), MOT expiry, mileage, and the V5C document reference number. Run a free DVLA check straight away — if the details they've given don't match what DVLA holds, walk away before you've wasted a trip.
Run a full history check the same day. Finance and write-off records can't be seen from the outside, and they're the two problems that turn a bargain into a total loss.
2. Paperwork checks on the driveway
- V5C logbook — check the watermark, the DVL serial number and the seller's name and address.
- MOT certificates and service history — look for a consistent mileage trend, not big gaps or reversals.
- VIN plate — usually on the dashboard by the windscreen and on the driver's door pillar. Both should match the V5C.
- Locking wheel nut key, spare key, radio code and handbook — missing items are negotiation leverage.
3. Ten-minute physical inspection
Do this in daylight, on a dry day. Look along each panel for ripples in the reflection — evidence of filler or a repaired shunt. Open and close every door, bonnet and boot; poor shut lines are a giveaway. Under the bonnet, check for mismatched panel colours around the slam panel and inner wings.
4. Test drive
Start cold — a warm engine can hide starting problems. On the drive: light acceleration through the gears, hard braking on a quiet straight (hands loose on the wheel — it should track straight), and a stretch of motorway to listen for wheel bearings and feel for vibration.
5. History checks that catch what you can't see
The two big ones: outstanding finance (the car isn't the seller's to sell) and insurance write-off (the car has been declared a total loss by an insurer). Both show up on our Full Buyer Protection Check. Also check stolen status, mileage timeline, previous keepers and colour changes.
6. When to walk away
- Seller won't meet at the address on the V5C.
- V5C is "in the post" or "with DVLA".
- Price is 20%+ below market with no clear reason.
- Pressure to pay by bank transfer or cash before you've seen documents.