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Used car buying checklist: what to check before you buy

A practical checklist for buying a used car in the UK: the documents to inspect, the free history checks to run, what to look for on the test drive, and how to negotiate.

Updated

Before you leave the house

Most bad purchases can be avoided without seeing the car. With just the registration number from the advert you can check the essentials in minutes, for free:

  • MOT history: look for repeated failures, structural corrosion advisories and whether last year's advisories were ever fixed.
  • Mileage record: confirm the readings climb steadily and match the advert.
  • Tax status: a long SORN period is worth asking about.
  • Spec sanity check:make, model, colour, engine size and fuel type in the report should match the advert exactly. A mismatch can mean a typo, or a plate that doesn't belong to the car.

The free data won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs or theft markers. For an expensive car, a paid provenance check for those three is cheap insurance on top.

Documents to inspect at the viewing

  • V5C logbook: check the registration, VIN and keeper details match the car and the seller, and view the car at the address on the V5C for a private sale. No V5C, no sale.
  • VIN: the plate at the base of the windscreen and the stamp under the bonnet or door should match the V5C. Mismatches are a walk-away sign.
  • Service history: stamps, invoices and old MOT certificates. Cross-check the mileages written on invoices against the odometer and MOT record.
  • Number of keepers and how long each kept it: many keepers in a short time can mean an unresolved problem being passed along.

Checking the car itself

  • View in daylight, ideally dry weather (rain hides paint defects).
  • Check panel gaps and paint match across adjacent panels; overspray on rubber seals suggests accident repair.
  • Tyres: matching brands and even wear. Uneven wear across one tyre points to alignment or suspension issues.
  • Start the engine from cold, and ask the seller not to warm it up first. Smoke on startup, rattles or a swinging temperature gauge matter most in the first minute.
  • Check every electrical item: windows, air-con, infotainment, parking sensors. Small faults are haggling points; warning lights are diagnoses waiting to be paid for.

The test drive

  • Confirm you're insured to drive it first.
  • Drive for at least 15–20 minutes, including higher-speed roads.
  • The car should brake in a straight line, with no steering-wheel shake or pulling.
  • Listen for clonks over bumps (suspension), whines under acceleration (transmission) and judder on clutch take-up.
  • After the drive, look under the car and engine bay for fresh drips.

Negotiating and paying

Price against the evidence: unfixed advisories, imminent MOT and tax renewals, tyres near the limit and missing service stamps are all legitimate deductions. Agree the price subject to the documents matching, get a written receipt with the registration, VIN, price, date and both parties' details, and be immediately suspicious of any seller who wants to meet somewhere other than the address on the V5C, or who pushes for a deposit before you've seen the car. If the deal smells wrong at any point, remember the used market's golden rule: there is always another car.