gov.uk MOT history and vehicle enquiry
- Price for one
- Free
- Data
- DVSA, DVLA
- Guarantee
- None
- Notes
- Every MOT with mileage, tax and MOT status, recalls. No finance, theft or write-off.
Ours
AutoFinder history check
- Price for one
- £9.99 (3 for £22.99, 5 for £35.99)
- Data
- Experian AutoCheck
- Guarantee
- £10,000 Experian data guarantee
- Notes
- Finance, stolen, write-off category with the damage drawn on the car, keepers, plate changes, logbook date; the same car's check is kept for 30 days and never charged twice. The Full Check (£14.99) adds the app inspection.
Total Car Check Gold
- Price for one
- £9.99 (Silver £3.99)
- Data
- Experian
- Guarantee
- £30,000 (Silver £10,000)
- Notes
- Report only.
Car Analytics
- Price for one
- £9.95
- Data
- Experian
- Guarantee
- Stated as £30,000
- Notes
- Report only.
MyCarCheck
- Price for one
- £8.49
- Data
- HPI
- Guarantee
- Check the provider's page
- Notes
- Report only.
AA Car Check
- Price for one
- £14.99
- Data
- HPI
- Guarantee
- Check the provider's page
- Notes
- Report only.
RAC Car Data Check
- Price for one
- £14.99
- Data
- HPI
- Guarantee
- Check the provider's page
- Notes
- Report only.
HPI Check
- Price for one
- £19.99 (Basic £9.99 with no guarantee, 3 for £29.99)
- Data
- HPI
- Guarantee
- £30,000
- Notes
- The original; "HPI" is the generic word for the check. Report only.
carVertical
- Price for one
- £39.99 (cheaper per report in packs)
- Data
- Own database plus partners
- Guarantee
- Report-return guarantee only, no data guarantee
- Notes
- Adds photos from past adverts and a mileage history in some cases.
How to choose
The data is the same, so pay for what's done with it. AutoFinder's check is at the cheap end with a guarantee, it's the only one that draws a write-off's damage on the car and tells you what the record means and what to ask the seller, it's kept on the car for 30 days so you're never charged twice, and the Full Check adds the inspection at the viewing for £5 more. The others give you the report and leave the car to you. carVertical's £39.99 buys presentation, not more data.
What none of them check
Mileage. The standard products don't carry it; it comes from the MOT history, which is free, and some providers paste it into their report from the same public record. And a history check on its own never sees the car: a clean record on a car with a slipping clutch is still a car with a slipping clutch, which is why AutoFinder pairs it with the inspection.