Plain English

Car check glossary

60 car check, MOT, finance, write-off and tax terms, each explained in one plain sentence, from advisories to VIN.

A

Advisory (MOT): A MOT advisory is a warning on a passed MOT, flagging a part that's wearing or ageing but not yet a fail.
Age identifier: An age identifier shows when a car was first registered, such as its number plate or first MOT record.

B

Balloon payment: A balloon payment is a large final sum due at the end of a PCP car finance deal, paid to keep the car.
Bill of sale (logbook loan): A bill of sale loan, or logbook loan, is borrowed money secured against a car's V5C, so the lender may still own it.

C

Cambelt: A cambelt is a toothed rubber belt that keeps the engine's camshaft and crankshaft turning together, and it must be replaced at set intervals to avoid engine damage.
Cat A write-off: A Cat A write-off is a car insurers have classed as scrap, never to be back on the road.
Cat B write-off: A Cat B write-off is a car written off only for parts: its shell is crushed and it can never return to the road.
Cat C write-off: A Cat C write-off was a car whose repair cost more than its value, a category used before October 2017.
Cat D write-off: A Cat D write-off was an insurance category for a written-off car, used before October 2017 and since replaced by Cat S and N.
Cat N write-off: A Cat N car has non-structural damage, such as to panels or bumpers, and has been repaired, so it can be driven legally.
Cat S write-off: A Cat S write-off has structural damage and can be repaired, then driven legally again.
Clean air zone (CAZ): A clean air zone is an area where vehicles that fail its emissions standards must pay a charge to drive in.
Clocking: Clocking is winding back a car's odometer so it shows fewer miles than it has really covered.
Cloned car: A cloned car is a stolen or written-off car disguised with the number plate and VIN of a legal car of the same make.
CO2 emissions (g/km): Grams of carbon dioxide a car emits per kilometre driven; for cars registered March 2001 to March 2017, it set the car tax band.
Conditional sale: A conditional sale is a car bought in instalments, where the finance company keeps legal ownership until the final payment is made.

D

Dangerous defect (MOT): A dangerous defect is the most serious MOT fault, meaning the car fails and must not be driven until repaired.
Diesel particulate filter (DPF): A diesel particulate filter is an exhaust filter that traps soot, which the engine burns off on longer drives to stay clear.
DVLA: The DVLA is the UK government agency that registers vehicles and keeps the records behind your car's V5C logbook.
DVSA: DVSA is the UK government agency whose data powers MOT history, the official record of a car's annual roadworthiness tests.

E

Euro 4: Euro 4 is an EU exhaust emissions standard that most petrol cars from 2006 meet; London's ULEZ uses it as its petrol cut-off.
Euro 6: Euro 6 is the emissions standard that most diesel cars from September 2015 onwards meet, and it decides whether they pay London's ULEZ charge.
Expensive car supplement: The expensive car supplement is an extra £440 a year in car tax for years two to six on cars listed over £40,000 when new.
Export marker: An export marker is a DVLA record flag showing a car has been reported as exported and is not meant for UK roads.

F

First registration date: The first registration date is when a car was first registered, and it sets the car's MOT timing and tax band.
First-year rate (car tax): The first-year rate is the car tax charged in a car's first year, set by CO2 emissions for most cars registered before April 2017.

H

Hire purchase (HP): Hire purchase (HP) is car finance where you pay in instalments, but the finance company owns the car until your final payment.
Historic vehicle tax class: The historic tax class is a car tax category with no tax to pay, for cars built over 40 years ago.
HPI check: A vehicle history check looks up a used car's records, such as finance owed, stolen status and write-off category, before you buy it.

I

Import marker: An import marker is a record showing a car was brought into the UK from abroad, so check its history and paperwork closely.
Insurance write-off: An insurance write-off is a car an insurer has declared too damaged to treat as a normal repair, graded A, B, S or N.

L

Low emission zone (LEZ): A low emission zone is an area where older, more polluting vehicles must pay a charge or face a penalty to enter.

M

Major defect (MOT): A major defect is an MOT fault that makes the car fail, though it isn't immediately dangerous, so it must be fixed and retested.
Memory tag: A memory tag is a small chip that stores identifying data, such as the VIN, for matching a car or part to its records.
Minor defect (MOT): A minor defect is a fault recorded on an MOT that isn't serious enough to fail the car, so it passes.
MOT: An MOT is the yearly UK roadworthiness test a car needs from three years after first registration (four in Northern Ireland).
MOT certificate: An MOT certificate is the official pass result of a car's yearly roadworthiness test, first due three years after first registration.
MOT retest: An MOT retest is a repeat test on a car that failed its MOT, done once the faults are fixed.

N

New keeper slip (V5C/2): The new keeper slip (V5C/2) is the section of the logbook that records the new keeper's details when a car is sold.

O

Odometer: The odometer is the dashboard counter showing how many miles a car has travelled, and winding it back is called clocking.
Outstanding finance: Outstanding finance is money still owed on a car bought on hire purchase or PCP, where the finance company owns it until final payment.

P

PCP (personal contract purchase): A PCP (personal contract purchase) is car finance where the lender owns the car until a final balloon payment.
Plate change (cherished transfer): A plate change swaps a car's registration number for a different one, usually a private (cherished) plate, which can hide its true age.
Private number plate: A private number plate is a registration you choose, with a personal combination of letters and numbers, instead of the standard age-based plate.
PRS (passed after rectification): A car that failed its MOT on dangerous or major defects, had them repaired, then passed a retest.

Q

Q plate: A Q plate is a registration mark given to a vehicle whose age or identity can't be confirmed.

R

Registered keeper: The registered keeper is the person or company listed on a car's V5C logbook as currently using it, which isn't always the legal owner.

S

Scrapped marker: A scrapped marker means a car's record shows it was declared scrapped and must never return to the road.
Service history: A service history is the record of a car's maintenance, showing when it was serviced, repaired and by whom.
Settlement figure: A settlement figure is the total sum needed to pay off a car's finance agreement early and own it outright.
SORN: A SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) tells the DVLA a car is off the road, so it needs no tax or insurance.
Standard rate (car tax): Standard rate is the flat £200 yearly car tax (VED) paid by cars registered from 1 April 2017, plus any expensive car supplement.
Stolen marker: A stolen marker is a flag on a car's record showing it has been reported stolen to the police, so don't buy it.

T

Trade and retail valuation: Trade value is what a dealer will pay you for a car; retail value is what they will ask a buyer for it.
Tread depth: Tread depth is the depth of a tyre's grooves, in millimetres; the legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre.

U

ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone): ULEZ is London's charging zone where cars that fail emissions standards pay £12.50 a day to drive, 24 hours a day.

V

V5C (logbook): The V5C, or logbook, is the DVLA registration document that names a car's registered keeper, not necessarily its legal owner.
VED (vehicle excise duty): VED (vehicle excise duty) is the yearly road tax you must pay before driving a car on public roads.
Vehicle recall: A vehicle recall is a manufacturer's call to fix a safety fault in a model, with the repair free at a franchised dealer.
VIN (vehicle identification number): A VIN is a unique 17-character code that identifies a specific car, found on the windscreen, door pillar and V5C logbook.

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