Make, model and colour
Compare the recorded vehicle identity with the advert and the car you view. A registration search alone cannot confirm that a number plate belongs to that car.
Car Basic CheckStart with the right details
Check a UK car's recorded identity, registration and core specification by number plate. Compare the details with the advert before you arrange a viewing, and keep a PDF report to refer to when you see the car.
Understand which vehicle is being advertised, check its age and specification, and investigate details that do not match. For finance, theft and insurance write-off checks, choose the separate full history package.
What does Car Basic Check include?
A practical starting point for comparing the vehicle's recorded details with what the seller says.
Understand the car behind the number plate
Similar-looking cars can have different engines, transmissions, body styles and registration histories. Checking the details early helps you establish whether an advertised vehicle is the version you are looking for.
Car Basic Check costs £2.99 for one vehicle. The report presents recorded identity and specification details, together with available keeper, registration-change and status information. The details supplied vary from car to car.
Use it to prepare specific questions for the seller. A different engine size, an unexpected registration date or a colour change deserves an explanation backed by documents. It does not automatically mean the advert is fraudulent.
You receive a dedicated PDF as part of your report download. Keep it alongside the advert and compare both with the vehicle and its V5C log book at the viewing.
Know what you still need to check: this is a vehicle-details report. Choose a full car history check for recorded finance, theft, write-off and mileage-discrepancy checks. A physical inspection is needed to assess present condition.
Read the details, ask better questions
What to look for in the report
Manufacture and registration dates
Review the year of manufacture and available first-registration dates. The year a car was built and the date it was registered can be different.
Engine, fuel and transmission
Check recorded engine capacity, fuel type and transmission details where supplied. Use them to question a listing that describes a different version of the vehicle.
Core vehicle specification
Review available body style, door and seat counts and other specification details. These records do not confirm the equipment fitted to the car today.
Keeper and registration changes
Read available keeper counts, log-book dates and number-plate or colour changes. A keeper count is not proof of ownership and does not identify previous keepers.
Recorded vehicle status
Review import, export or scrapped information and MOT expiry where supplied. Status information is not a complete MOT test history or a guarantee of roadworthiness.
How to check car details by registration
Use the report to prepare for a viewing, then verify the important details in person.
Check
1. Confirm the vehicle
Enter the UK registration on the history-check page. Check the returned vehicle, choose Car Basic Check and add your selection to the cart.
Compare
2. Read against the advert
Compare the completed report with the listing. Make a note of differences in age, colour, engine or specification and ask for supporting evidence.
Decide
3. Verify at the viewing
Compare the car and its VIN with the V5C. Review service documents and decide whether you need a full history report or an inspection before buying.
GOV.UK's used-car buying guidance explains the document and identity checks to make, including comparing the vehicle's VIN and engine number with the log book.
Basic, free or full: which car check?
Start with the question you need answered. A paid report is useful when its coverage and format meet that need.
Free car data check
Do I just need the main vehicle details?
Available registration and status details, with a free PDF download. Start here if those facts answer your question.
Check vehicle detailsCar Basic Check
£2.99 per vehicleDo I need more specification and keeper-change detail?
A report of identity, core specification and available keeper, registration-change and status details.
Start your basic checkFull car history check
Do I need to investigate finance, theft or write-offs?
A separate package for broader recorded history risks, including mileage discrepancies. Basic details alone do not answer these questions.
Explore the full history checkFree MOT history check
What were the previous MOT results and mileages?
Available test results and recorded mileages. An expiry date in a basic report is not the same as a detailed test history.
Check MOT historyYou can also look up vehicle information directly through GOV.UK. Its vehicle enquiry service lists the details you can check using a registration number.
What if the details do not match?
Resolve uncertainty before paying a deposit. These are examples of questions to ask, not findings about a particular car.
The build year and registration date differ
A car can be manufactured before it is first registered. An import may also have separate overseas and UK registration dates. Ask which date the advert describes and compare it with the V5C and available import documents.
The engine, trim or equipment looks different
Ask the seller to identify the exact version and explain any changes. Core specifications do not establish every factory option or later modification. Check equipment on the car itself and ask for evidence of claimed extras.
The keeper count or number plate has changed
Ask how the change fits the seller's account of the car. A registration transfer can have an ordinary explanation, but it does not prove ownership. A keeper count tells you about recorded keepers, not who has the legal right to sell.
Everything appears to match
Matching details are a useful starting point. They do not authenticate the car, establish its maintenance history or assess wear and damage. Review its documents, consider the full history package and arrange an independent vehicle inspection to assess current condition.
Your questions answered
Understand the cost, report coverage and what to check next.
Car Basic Check is a paid vehicle-details report for a UK registration number. It covers recorded identity, registration and core specifications, plus available keeper, registration-change and vehicle-status information. It is useful for comparing a used-car advert with the recorded details before arranging a viewing.
CarExamer Car Basic Check costs £2.99 for one vehicle. Enter the registration on the car history check page, confirm the vehicle and select Car Basic Check. Extra packages are optional and priced separately. Your total is shown before you add the selection to your cart.
Yes. Use the UK registration shown on the number plate and make sure the returned vehicle matches the car you intend to check. At the viewing, compare the VIN on the vehicle with the V5C log book. A registration lookup cannot authenticate a physical vehicle or rule out a cloned plate.
Car Basic Check is the vehicle identity and specification package. For recorded finance, stolen-vehicle, insurance write-off and mileage-discrepancy checks, choose the separate Full car history check package. Do not treat matching basic details as confirmation that the car has no outstanding finance or other history concerns.
The free car data check shows available registration and status details, and you can download its results as a PDF. Car Basic Check adds available core specification, keeper, number-plate and colour-change information in its report. Choose based on the information you need: the free check may be enough, and additional Basic details vary by vehicle.
An MOT expiry date may appear where available, but this is not a detailed record of previous tests, failures or advisories. Use the free MOT check or select the separate MOT-history package for that information. Ask the seller for service invoices, the service book or a digital service record; Basic does not supply a complete maintenance history.
Available keeper counts and change dates do not include previous keepers' names and addresses or prove legal ownership. A VIN may be masked or unavailable in the report. Always compare the VIN physically displayed on the vehicle with the V5C, and ask the seller for evidence of their right to sell.
Check the registration for a typing error, then ask the seller to explain the difference with supporting documents. Registration dates, trim names or changes to the vehicle can need clarification. If its identity remains uncertain, pause the purchase rather than relying on an explanation you cannot verify.
Once the order is completed and the reports are prepared, you can download the report archive. Car Basic Check is supplied as its own PDF. Keep it with the advert and seller correspondence, and remember that the recorded details can change after the report is produced.
Ready to compare the details?
Start with the registration. Car Basic Check costs £2.99 per vehicle.
Start your check