Getting things ready
Lining up the next part of your vehicle check.
Lining up the next part of your vehicle check.
Plain-English help for checking a used car before you buy.
Find historical evidence and ask the questions that matter before buying a repaired vehicle.
What insurance write-off categories Cat S and Cat N actually mean, whether the cars are safe to buy, and how to check a vehicle's status before you pay.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
Understand why salvage auction records and insurance write-off categories answer different questions when buying a used car.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
A practical way to compare pre-repair auction pictures, repair invoices and the car in front of you without treating photos as an inspection.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Build a dated mileage timeline using auction and MOT records, check units and investigate discrepancies before paying a deposit.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
A Cat S buying checklist covering structural repair records, identity, inspection scope, insurance and the limits of an MOT pass.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Check the recorded damage, repair invoices and present condition of a Cat N car without assuming non-structural means cosmetic.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Read the timeline accurately and distinguish an inspection result from maintenance evidence.
Learn how MOT readings can reveal mileage inconsistencies, why a lower odometer reading is not conclusive evidence of fraud, and what to verify with the seller.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
Understand final passes, PRS rectifications, failure denominators and age effects before using MOT statistics to compare used cars.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
Read an MOT result accurately: what each defect category means and what to ask about recurring advisories before buying a car.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
Investigate a lower MOT mileage reading with units, dated service evidence and the official correction route rather than jumping to conclusions.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Compare mixed-unit vehicle history correctly, including a worked conversion and the evidence needed when a car's instruments have changed.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Find the next useful step when a registration returns no MOT history, including identity, vehicle age, imported history and service availability.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Turn recurring MOT comments into specific questions about repair invoices, components and present condition instead of treating every repeat as the same fault.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Separate recorded MOT outcomes from maintenance records and find the evidence a used-car buyer should request for each.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Plan a viewing and purchase when an MOT is close to expiry without confusing a current pass with a guarantee of future work or condition.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Match the car to its records and resolve the questions that matter before paying.
What outstanding finance means when buying a used car, why it's a serious risk, and how to check whether money is still owed before you pay.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
The V5C logbook is the single most important document at a used-car viewing. Here's what each part means and the checks that catch most scams.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
An identity-check workflow for matching the physical car, original registration document and recorded history before purchase.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Understand the identity checks that still matter when a registration's recorded history looks clear.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Use identity and dated documents to understand a registration change without treating every plate change as suspicious or harmless.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Understand why a keeper count and a registration document do not prove who owns a vehicle or who is entitled to sell it.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
A buyer's evidence workflow for a recorded finance marker, settlement claims and checking the lender's confirmation independently.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Prepare the vehicle identity, history, sale terms and evidence you need before committing a deposit on a used car.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Identify the gaps in a UK history report for an imported car and request earlier registration, mileage and service evidence.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Prepare a viewing, compare alternatives and keep the evidence behind your decision.
Buying a stolen car means losing the car and your money. Here's how the stolen marker works, the warning signs at a viewing, and how to check before you pay.
By Plateworthy · Updated 15 October 2026
Separate an electric car's recorded history from battery condition, charging capability and the evidence needed for your intended journeys.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Assess missing maintenance evidence, request useful documents and plan an inspection without assuming an MOT pass replaces service history.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Use a simple evidence-based shortlist to compare identity, recorded risks, repair history, maintenance and ownership costs.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Save a wasted viewing by confirming the registration, history questions, available documents and inspection arrangements before you travel.
By Plateworthy · Updated 24 October 2026
Take the printable viewing checklist, find your model or explore our MOT research.