Best way to check car history.

[vwmark]

Hi. What is the best way of checking history on a car.

A friend wants me to go and see a car for him which is no problem except its 120 mile away.

Dont want to get there to find all the dealers promises are rubbish.

Dont know how many times I have been told a car has full history only to turn up and they have misplaced it.

This is the opposite of my current v70 volvo. Crap advert. Turned up to find the sellers had just had full volvo service as they wanted their car to go to a good home. Cost £500 yet I only paid £800!

 

[winchman]

Many dealers now send a video, I have my local VW dealer lying about the car on his own video! and VW wont do anything about it so its still a gamble, are none of us near by to take a few pics?

 

[Kayos]

I use the MOT checker first of all, saved me looking at 5 jap rotboxes (still looked at 3, so it’s not perfect)

 

[skotl]

I use the MOT checker first of all, saved me looking at 5 jap rotboxes (still looked at 3, so it’s not perfect)

+1 for this. I was helping a mate look for a car and we discounted a few based on the MOT checker - same advisories coming up year on year suggested the owner wasn't that fussed about maintenance.
Also helpful to know what advisories might lead to a £500 or £1,000 bill in the future.

 

[Robotstar5]

I use the MOT checker first of all, saved me looking at 5 jap rotboxes (still looked at 3, so it’s not perfect)

It's useful as if it has fails for bald tyres etc. it shows the car hasn't been looked after, just put in for the MOT and hope for the best.

 

[MoreWellie]

I use the MOT checker first of all, saved me looking at 5 jap rotboxes

I have seen more than one car advertised with less mileage than what has been recorded on the MOT history so another +1 on this

 

[pedrobedro]

You can get a Hpi check for a tenner.

 

[Olderisbetter]

These are my first move as i buy older motors, You can see MOT history and millage if they gave it, Amazing how many on Ebait do not match up, Free and instant....

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk
https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

 

[vwmark]

Thanks. Mot checker is usefull. I use it for older cars to chech for advisories on rust.

Checked this car and the mileage looks correct but failed a number of years for stuff that should have been found at services so a few alarm bells.

 

[Olderisbetter]

Thanks. Mot checker is usefull. I use it for older cars to chech for advisories on rust.

Checked this car and the mileage looks correct but failed a number of years for stuff that should have been found at services so a few alarm bells.

That tells you alot on how it was maintained and maybe if it was run on a shoestring

 

[Fazerruss]

As long long as you go there assuming the dealer info is a pack of lies then you won't be disappointed.
I have yet to find a car dealer that tells the truth

 

[thinfourth]

If the car is described as absolutely perfect without a single mark and has been no expense spared in looking after it then more then likely its a dog being sold by a chancer

if the description includes dents, stone chips and broken trim then it is probably an honest car

 

[garethp]

As long long as you go there assuming the dealer info is a pack of lies then you won't be disappointed.
I have yet to find a car dealer that tells the truth

Got to agree with that especially when they admit later that the warranty covers nowt that actually goes wrong. Also watch out for MOT's at main stealers, I know 3 people who have had cars fail or get advisories with £££ bills quoted, when they've gone elsewhere the car has been fine but an MOT check now looks like they haven't maintained it.

 

[Kayos]

Got to agree with that especially when they admit later that the warranty covers nowt that actually goes wrong. Also watch out for MOT's at main stealers, I know 3 people who have had cars fail or get advisories with £££ bills quoted, when they've gone elsewhere the car has been fine but an MOT check now looks like they haven't maintained it.

My Disco came with a “warranty” after 2 attempted claims I got my money back (on the receipt it was £250)

 

[garethp]

I think overall I've tried to make 3 claims over the years from 3 different garages, the closest I got to success was a knocking anti roll bar and I think they just turned the chassis mounted bushes round as it was quiet for long enough for the warranty to expire.

One guy I used to work with got stung for £1200 for a new steering rack on a ford, he knew it wasn't right but the dealer looked at it several times and each time said it was fine. First MOT (at the same dealer) after the warranty expired and guess what needed replaced to get a pass.

 

[vwmark]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/142683872986
This is the car.

 

[Nick67GT]

Ask them for the previous registered owner and make contact, their details are almost always in the service history paperwork. I've done this several times when sat in the showroom looking through the car history.

If they won't play ball - walk away.

 

[knighty]

little off repeated tyre warnings on mot, but could just be the owner wasn't a 'car person' and didn't notice / think to check

same goes for the wheel bearing bad enough to fail

water marks on the floor mean they washed it for the photos (wet makes it look shiny) but didn't bother doing the inside for the photos

looks ok in the photos, nothing jumping out at me... hard to tell from photos tho


when you get there to look at it make sure the engine is cold, you can tell a lot more starting a cold engine and then listening to it while it's cold than you can with a warm one

 

[Turbo]

I had a friend who worked in a main dealer as the service & parts manager. He told me that a dealer service history sometimes isn't worth the paper it is written on. He was often asked to take a blank service book & make up a service history for a used car. He hated doing it & it was one of the reasons he left that job but he reckoned it was happening at all dealers.

 

[gerrymoore]

I have the Carly App for BMW's. It tells you just about everything on the car including the mileage (from different ecu's so you can tell if anything has been changed).....also the exact amount of journeys the car has had including the speeds travelled!!! It's an amazing little app and can recode certain ecu's and also gives complete OBD reports...... and can 'organise' a DPF regen if you want won't give me next weeks lottery numbers though