RAC Vehicle Check
1 in 3 cars has a hidden history. Don't risk it. Get it checked.
RAC Car Data Checks tell you if the car:
Is stolen
Is an insurance write-off
Has outstanding finance on it
Has had previous plates
Get a RAC
Vehicle Report / Data Check >>
Stolen vehicles
Some 375,000 vehicles are stolen in the UK every year. The check
uses police information to confirm whether the vehicle is
currently reported as stolen. If you purchase a stolen vehicle the
Police will probably confiscate the car, and you may well lose
your money.
Each year 150,000 car thefts are recorded by insurance companies.
If you buy one of these cars, the insurance company may well
repossess it, and you would lose your money.
Insurance write-offs
Over 500,000 vehicles are written-off or declared 'total losses'
by insurers each year in the UK. Many can be safely repaired and
put back on the roads, but some will be death traps, and should
have been scrapped. We recommend you have the car inspected by an
organisation such as the RAC before considering purchasing the
car. If you do buy one of these vehicles it may invalidate your
motor insurance.
Outstanding finance
Over 7 million vehicles are purchased in the UK using some form of
finance. The check identifies whether a car has an outstanding
loan registered against it. Please ensure the loan has been
settled off before you buy the vehicle otherwise the finance
company may well repossess the car.
Previous plates
Personalised number plates are becoming increasingly popular. Most
are perfectly innocent, but beware - crooks can use a change of
plate to try to obscure a vehicle's true past, such as accident
damage.
Risk of being sold illegally
Some vehicles should not be offered for sale such as a rental cars
or dealer demonstrators. The check will tell you if a car being
offered for sale is registered as belonging to one of these
organisations.
Number plate matches the chassis number
The chassis number or VIN is given to each car during the
manufacturing process and should never be changed or tampered
with. Any mismatch signals a possible stolen vehicle.
Vehicle Registration Number Database
The Vehicle Registration Number Database provides confirmation of
the vehicle's physical details, including make, model, door plan,
fuel, transmission, engine size and number. If any of these
details do not match the vehicle or V5 registration document, make
further enquiries before going ahead with a purchase.