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Used car buying guides
30 plain-English guides to buying a used car in the UK: how to check one, spot clocking and cloned cars, understand finance and write-offs, and handle the MOT, tax and paperwork.
Bought a car with finance owing: what now?If you bought a car privately in good faith and it turns out to have hire purchase owing, the Hire Purchase Act 1964 usually protects you. Contact the lender and get advice.Buying a car with outstanding financeIf a car has finance owing, the finance company owns it until it's paid off. Get the seller to settle it, or pay the lender directly, before you hand over money.Buying a used electric carWhen buying a used electric car, check its battery health and range, its MOT history and mileage, its charging cable and history, and its finance record. EVs now pay car tax.Buying an imported carAn imported car can be a good buy, but check it's registered properly, its mileage is in miles not kilometres, and its history before it came to the UK.Buying privately vs from a dealerDealers usually cost more but give you more legal protection and often a warranty; private sales are cheaper but you buy the car as it is, so checks matter even more.Cat S vs Cat N: write-off categories explainedCat S cars had structural damage and Cat N cars non-structural damage; both can be repaired and driven again, while Cat A and B cars can never return to the road.Cloned cars: how to spot oneA cloned car wears the plates of a legitimate identical car to hide that it's stolen. Check the make, model, colour and engine against the reg record, and the VIN in three places.Do electric cars pay car tax?Yes: electric cars have paid car tax since April 2025, the £200 standard rate from 1 April 2026, plus £440 in years 2 to 6 for EVs registered from April 2025 with a list price over £50,000.Driving without an MOTDriving without a valid MOT can bring a fine of up to £1,000. The exceptions are driving to a booked MOT or to repairs after a fail.Failed MOT: what happens nextIf a car fails its MOT with a major or dangerous defect, it needs repairing and a retest. You can't drive it with a dangerous defect, and only to repairs or a booked test without a valid MOT.How many miles is too many for a used car?There's no single limit: a well-kept car with 100,000 miles can beat a neglected one with 40,000. Compare it with the UK average of about 7,100 miles a year and its MOT record.How to check a car's service historyCheck a car's service history by matching each stamp or invoice to its date and mileage, and against the MOT mileage record. Gaps and missing invoices are worth asking about.How to check a used car before you buyCheck a used car in three stages: its records (MOT history, mileage, finance, theft, write-off), the car itself in daylight, and the paperwork against the seller's ID.How to check if a car is stolenRun a stolen car check with the registration to search the police records, then make sure the VIN, V5C and seller all match the car in front of you.How to negotiate a used car priceNegotiate a used car price with evidence: the MOT advisories, tyre and brake wear, gaps in the history and what similar cars are listed for.How to read an MOT historyRead an MOT history for patterns: the same fault failing again, a long advisory list at the last test, mileage that doesn't rise steadily, and gaps with no test at all.How to sell a carSell a car by pricing it from similar adverts, gathering the V5C and service history, showing buyers its MOT record, and only handing over keys once the payment has cleared.How to spot a clocked carThe surest sign of a clocked car is a mileage that drops between MOTs. Check every reading in the MOT history, then match the wear, service stamps and V5C to the odometer.How to tax a carTax a car online with the V5C reference number or new keeper slip before you drive it. Tax never transfers: buying a car means taxing it yourself, from the day you buy it.HP vs PCP: car finance explainedWith hire purchase you pay off the whole car and own it at the end; with PCP you pay less each month and choose at the end to pay a final balloon payment, hand it back or swap.MOT advisories explainedAn MOT advisory is a fault that passed this time but is wearing out. It isn't a fail, but it's work to plan, and a buyer should price it in.Private number plates explainedA private plate can go on any car as long as it doesn't make the car look newer than it is. The plate change appears on the car's history record.SORN explainedA SORN tells the DVLA a car is off the road, so it doesn't need tax or insurance. It must then stay off public roads until you tax it again.The most common MOT failuresLights and electrics fail more MOTs than anything else (9.9% of tests), followed by suspension, brakes and tyres. Many fails are bulbs, wipers and tyres you can check at home.The V5C logbook explainedThe V5C logbook shows who keeps a car, not who owns it. When buying, check the keeper's name and address match the seller and where you are, and the VIN matches the car.ULEZ compliant cars: what to buyPetrol cars registered from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 usually meet London's ULEZ. Electric cars always do. Check the exact car by registration before you buy.Used car scams to avoidThe commonest used car scams are clocked mileage, hidden finance, cloned and stolen cars, and fake deposits. A few minutes of checks beats them all.What is a Q plate?A Q plate is given to a vehicle whose age or identity can't be confirmed, such as a kit car or a rebuilt or imported vehicle with missing documents.What is checked in an MOT?An MOT checks a car's safety and emissions: lights, brakes, steering, suspension, tyres and wheels, seat belts, body and structure, exhaust and emissions, mirrors, wipers and number plates.When is a car's first MOT due?A car's first MOT is due three years after it was first registered (four in Northern Ireland), then every year. You can take it up to a month early and keep the date.
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