To check the history of a used car before buying one, we advise you to;
- ask the car dealer if they use a commercial database to confirm whether or not a vehicle has been reported as being stolen, has been written off by an insurance company, or is still being paid for under a finance agreement
- contact HPI Checkand for a small charge they can check the status of the car you’re buying
- be cautious when buying a car privately, meet the seller at their house and look around for signs of car dealing
- check the car chassis and vehicle identification number (VIN) and make sure they match those shown on the V5 documents
- check the vehicle registration hasn’t been tampered with
- don’t buy the vehicle if the seller cannot provide you with the vehicle registration (V5) document
- take advantage of ‘indemnity clauses’ at car auctions, for a small fee you will be protected if you find you’ve brought a stolen vehicle.
When buying a car, it’s a good idea to check to see whether it has any security features. Ideally, a car should have one or more of the following;
- an electric immobiliser
- a car alarm
- doors fitted with deadlocks or electronic locks
- a central locking system
- a visible vehicle identification number (VIN) – this is a unique number which identifies your car from any other on the road
- security glazing – strengthened glass fitted to the side and rear windows of the car to make it harder for thieves to break in
- lockable fuel cap
- lockable wheel nuts
- tracking devices to enable cars to be tracked by the police if ever it is stolen.