The car-buying process can be a particularly exciting experience, but you should consider undertaking a few checks before committing to a new motor.
Here's everything you need to inspect, test, and verify to ensure you drive home with total confidence.
Key takeaways
- You can't confirm stolen status through a free DVLA check - you need a paid vehicle history check for that
- Always check the VIN on the car matches the number in the V5C logbook, and check the engine number too
- Warning signs include a price that seems too low, a reluctant seller, and a V5C that doesn't add up
- If you buy a stolen car unknowingly, the police can seize it - you lose the car and the money you paid
- Always meet the seller at their home address and ask to see the V5C before handing over any money
Can you check if a car is stolen for free?
You can view a vehicle's tax and MOT status along with some basic details on the DVLA website. However, crucially, it does not confirm whether a vehicle has been reported stolen.
You can cross-check a vehicle's history against the Police National Computer (PNC) by using websites such as isitnicked. This can pull any stolen, lost or destroyed car reports with complete transparency – and the service is free!
The reliable way to confirm the theft status of a vehicle is through a full paid history report. The PNC and Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR) can verify vehicles that have been written off or stolen/recovered by insurers.
Records kept by insurers relating to write-off data and outstanding finance records are confidential and aren't freely available. So, certified paid history report providers can review records from multiple databases to establish a vehicle's status.
How to check if a car is stolen: step by step
Settling on the car you'd like to buy is the exciting part! But given the cost involved, it can't hurt checking what to look for when buying a used car to ensure the vehicle you're purchasing is safe and not stolen.
Owning one of the most stolen models of cars in the UK could put you at a greater risk of theft. Our car theft calculator can help you see the risk for your make and model.
Here are also a few ways to put your mind at ease before you buy:
Step 1: Check the vehicle details on GOV.UK
You can build a clear picture of the history of the car you're looking to buy online. Several comprehensive car-checking tools can help you establish if a vehicle has been stolen. The DVLA's check vehicle tax and MOT status tool can show you a vehicle's tax and SORN status, along with its MOT expiry date.
Using recognised resources provided by DVLA or HPI can give you enough information to cross-check with what the seller has provided. If some of the details don't match, treat it as a red flag and request more information from the seller.
Step 2: Check the details on the V5C document
As mentioned, a V5C document can give you some indication of authenticity. A minor detail to look out for is whether the certificate has a ‘DVL’ watermark throughout the paper if held up against light.
The V5C is now red, but it used to be blue. Around 400,000 blank blue V5C forms were stolen in 2006, before they'd even been issued to a legitimate owner. Criminals then filled them in themselves to make stolen cars look genuine.
If you're shown an older blue V5C, check the serial number in the top right corner isn't in one of the known stolen ranges: BG8229501-BG9999030 or BI2305501-BI2800000. If it is, don't go ahead with the sale, and contact the police when it's safe to do so.
Before buying a used car, you should insist on checking over the V5C. Also ensure that the details in the logbook match the details you've been given.
Step 3: Check the VIN
A vehicle identification number (VIN) is composed of 17 characters, both digits and capital letters, that act as a unique identifier for the vehicle in question. You can typically find this in the V5C logbook and car insurance documents.
The car itself should also have a marking displaying the VIN, exactly where it's located will depend on the make and model of your car. It's fairly common to find the VIN marking on the dashboard, on a door frame or stamped on the chassis. Unsurprisingly, that's why VIN is also called the ‘chassis number’!
Step 4: Cross-check the VIN and engine number against the V5C
Performing so many checks can feel like overkill, but the VIN marking and engine number not corresponding with the V5C is a major red flag. The V5C document should display both of these numbers, and if either doesn't match, ditch your plans to buy the vehicle.
Inconsistency between the V5C and these numbers could suggest a stolen car given the identity of a legitimate one or forged documents.
Verifying everything you need in person is essential, as it gives you a visual opportunity to check boxes a standard paid history report may omit.
Step 5: Run a paid vehicle history check
Once you've closely inspected your potential new motor with your own eyes, the next step is to run through the history of the vehicle. The report was previously known as a Hire Purchase Information (HPI) check but now offers a more comprehensive overview of a vehicle's history.
This can provide you with a detailed report revealing typically confidential information such as its write-off status, any outstanding finance and any PNC-stolen markers.
Provider websites offer reports varying in comprehensiveness from basic checks to full in-depth reports, typically ranging from around £4 to £20 depending on the provider and level of detail.
The information you receive will depend on the provider you opt for and may exclude some elements, such as insurance notes obtained from the MIAFTR database.
This is why it's always a good idea to compare providers so you receive a report including the information you need!
Step 6: Meet the seller at their registered address
It might seem an unnecessary step to meet the seller of a vehicle at their registered address. But if they're selling to you directly, there's a good reason for doing so.
It's far from definitive, but meeting the seller at their address can give you some degree of authentication. Doing this can help you verify listed information on the V5C registration document and ascertain whether they're the registered keeper of the vehicle.
It's far from foolproof, but it can raise a red flag if the seller is unwilling to accommodate you!
Warning signs a car might be stolen
You can take the necessary steps to check whether a car has been stolen, but what other red flags should you look out for?
Suspiciously low price
There's an old adage that goes, 'If something seems too good to be true, it probably is'. It's not always the case, but if you find a car that has a suspiciously low comparative asking price, you should question why. It can mask hidden issues with the car or the fact the vehicle has been stolen.
Many of the models that feature are hacked via the keyless entry system on drivers’ key fobs. So, if you do decide to buy a keyless entry vehicle, you may want to consider security measures to protect your car from theft.
Other common signs of risk can include:
- If an independent seller won't meet at their home address
- If the seller can only provide one key
- An incomplete service history
- A VIN that looks tampered with (etched over, damaged plate)
- The seller wants a rushed sale - the seller wants to complete quickly
What is car cloning, and how does it affect you?
Car cloning sounds like a new manufacturing process, but it's actually a highly illegal criminal practice. In short, it involves criminals copying another car's identification markers to hide the identity of a stolen vehicle.
"Criminals may clone cars by stealing or duplicating the registration plate of another vehicle and applying it to a potentially stolen vehicle. "It can also involve the alteration or tampering of a VIN number. If you're looking to buy a car, always cross-check the VIN number outlined in the V5C against the physical marker on the dashboard, winscreen or chassis." What our motor insurance expert says
A standard vehicle history check may show clean results on the donor VIN, when in actuality, it's not the car you're looking to buy. This is why it's so important to physically cross-check the identification markers on the car you're looking to buy.
What happens if I buy a stolen car?
If you suspect or find out that the car you've bought has been stolen, contact the police immediately. The police will give you a crime reference number. It's important you note this down, as you'll need it when you contact your insurer.
If you suspect the car you've bought is stolen, or you confirm that it is, it's best not to use the car under any circumstances. The police have the power to seize the vehicle, meaning you may be left without the car or the money you paid for it.
Even if you bought the car in good faith and had no idea it was stolen, a thief cannot legally pass on ownership they never had. This means you have no legal claim to keep the vehicle, no matter how much you paid or how convincing the sale seemed.
In terms of recourse, you may be able to lodge a claim through your insurer. However, a successful claim will depend on whether your car insurance policy covers the purchase of stolen vehicles. If it does, you may receive some compensation, but it'll depend on the situation itself.
Who you bought the car from also matters if the vehicle is registered as stolen. Purchasing the car through a certified dealer can offer you far greater legal protection, and you may be refunded under the Consumer Rights Act. Buying from an independent seller is far riskier and offers little protection.
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