Guides & Advice
Car Buying Advice & Vehicle Check Guides
Guides on car history checks, outstanding finance, write-offs and MOT history.
VIN Check: The One Number That Beats Marketplace Fraud
A VIN check takes ten minutes and no expertise, and it is where cloned, clocked and stolen cars fall apart. Here is how to run one properly.
8 July 2026
Why 562,185 Cars Were Written Off in One Year
562,185 UK cars were written off in 2024, most on cost grounds, and 91,156 write-offs went missing from the register checks rely on. Here is the maths.
7 July 2026
The £5,000 Trade-In That Halved When the History Came Out
A Skoda Yeti owner offered £5,000 at trade-in watched it drop to £2,500 when a salvage record surfaced. Nobody told him the car was previously written off.
5 July 2026
Up to 1 in 8 Used Car Sales Hides a Tampered Odometer
European Parliament research puts odometer tampering at up to 12% of used car sales, and a UK court case shows exactly how the fraud is run.
4 July 2026
Car Cloning Is Up 41%. Fines for Clones Are Up 857%.
Car cloning is up 41% in a year and cloned-plate fines in London rose 857%. Innocent drivers are paying for crimes they never committed.
2 July 2026
Car Finance Mis-Selling: 12.1 Million Deals, £830 Each
12.1 million car finance deals were mis-sold through hidden commissions. Average payout £830. Here is how to check if yours is one of them.
1 July 2026
The 66,000 Mile Car That Had Really Done 250,000
A buyer nearly paid thousands for a car with fake mileage: advertised at 66,000, actual reading 250,000. One question saved him. Here it is.
29 June 2026
Facebook Marketplace Car Scams: £480,000 Gone in 9 Months
Facebook Marketplace car scams cost UK buyers £479,964 in nine months. The cars never existed. Here is how the scam works and how to beat it.
27 June 2026
Written Off Cars Are Being Resold With No Inspection
Written off cars can be repaired and resold in the UK with no independent inspection. Autocar's investigation shows how big the gap really is.
25 June 2026
The Van Dealer Who Made £20,000 Rolling Back Odometers
A van trader made £20,000 clocking six vans before their first MOT. Here is how the mileage fraud worked and how to avoid buying a clocked van.
23 June 2026
Buying a Grey Import Used Car: What Is Missing From Its UK History
A grey import can be cheap and a lot of car, but its UK history only starts the day it landed. Here is what is missing and what to check before you buy.
23 June 2026
Buying a Used Car at Auction: The Risks and What You Cannot Check
Auction cars can be cheap, but they are sold as seen with no test drive and little comeback. Here are the real risks and the checks you can and cannot do before you bid.
21 June 2026
Can You Drive Without an MOT, and When Does an MOT Run Out?
Driving without a valid MOT is illegal, with a few narrow exceptions. Here is the law, the penalties, the insurance risk, and how to check any car's MOT expiry free.
14 June 2026
How to Check if a Car Is Stolen in the UK Before You Buy
You cannot tell a stolen car by looking at it. Here is how to actually check if a car is stolen before you buy, which registers hold the data, and what to do if it flags.
7 June 2026
EV Battery Leasing: Does the Car Actually Own Its Battery?
Some used EVs come with a leased battery, so you buy the car but rent the pack monthly. Here is how to find out before you buy, and why a standard check will not flag it.
31 May 2026
How to Check a Used EV's Battery Health Before You Buy
A used EV is only worth what its battery is worth. Here is how to check battery State of Health, what the numbers mean, and what no history check can tell you.
24 May 2026
HPI Check UK: Is It Worth It? (And Is There a Cheaper Alternative?)
HPI check costs £19.99. Bad Drivers UK runs the same Experian data check for £9.99. Here's what you get and why you're overpaying.
17 May 2026
What Is a Mileage Check and Why Does It Matter?
A mileage check cross-references MOT records to spot clocking. Here is what it shows, how mileage fraud works in the UK, and why a discrepancy is a serious red flag.
16 May 2026