History Check

At MOTORS, we work with our automotive data provider to confirm the identity of vehicles listed on our site. We also use further automotive data information to assess key vehicle criteria as part of our screening check. This free check is provided to give you peace of mind to search for your next car with confidence. Our vehicle history check is provided for guidance only. Please check all details with the seller before purchasing.

Please familiarise yourself with this page to fully understand what is checked and what is not checked.

We highly recommend that you verify all details with the seller and use your own judgement on the vehicle too. Please see our Buying Guide for more tips on how to buy with confidence

What we check

Our screening check is performed as part of the process of recording the vehicle onto our site and creating the advert. The following adverse markers are checked as part of this process.

What our symbols mean

We perform a screening check as part of the process of adding the vehicle onto our site as an advert for one of our dealers. The below icons are used to explain the results of the check.

What we don't check...

We only check the information listed above at the time of creating the advert. As such, the screening check does not provide information on how the vehicle has been treated or its service history. In particular, we do not check for any outstanding finance or mileage anomaly on the car.

Insurance 'Write-offs'

• Insurance companies categorise vehicles that have been damaged in accidents as A, B, S or N and record them under the Motor Industry Anti-Fraud and Theft Register scheme.
• Vehicles in categories A and B have been damaged too seriously to return to the road so you'll never see these listed on our website.
• Vehicles in categories S and N (formerly C and D) have been deemed uneconomical to repair by an insurer, but can be repaired and resold. If such a car is advertised on our site you'll see the warning symbol - we recommend fully validating roadworthiness with the dealer prior to purchase.

Important information

All cars at MOTORS are entered into the screening check, but it may not always be possible to find data on the vehicle. A common reason is that the number plate has previously been changed, for example where someone has had a private number plate. There may not be a need to be concerned and we recommend you contact the seller if you have specific questions about a vehicle's history. You must ensure that you reconfirm all information with the seller before committing to buy.

Glossary

• ABI condition

  Condition Data uses information provided by Motor Industry Anti-Fraud and Theft Register to specify if a vehicle has been written off (eg. there has been a total loss claim) due to damage or theft. Details are also available from the DVLA advising whether a vehicle has been scrapped, exported or has had a Certificate Of Destruction issued against it. An explanation of the categories of write-off are listed below:

• Category A

  A vehicle marked with a warning for Category A will be a very badly damaged vehicle that has been deemed unsafe for the roads by an insurance company. Nothing in the car is salvageable and therefore it is scrapped. We do not list vehicles on our site that we have found to be a Category A write-off.

• Category B

  A vehicle marked with a warning for Category B has not been repaired following significant damage. It was deemed too damaged to be repairable however did have salvageable parts. We do not list vehicles on our site that we have found to be a Category B write-off.

• Category C

  A vehicle marked with a warning for Category C, now known as category S, is a vehicle that has been damaged to a point where it is not economically viable for the insurance company to pay for repairs. These cars will also be more damaged than a category D write-off.

• Category D

  A vehicle marked with a warning for Category D, now known as category N, is a vehicle that has had minimal damage, but it is more to fix the car than its actual value, and therefore is not economically viable for the insurance company to do so.

• Category S

  Formerly known as a category C write-off, a vehicle marked with a warning for Category S is a vehicle that is repairable but the cost is more than the value. Therefore, the insurer decided not to repair the vehicle. It will also have suffered more damage than a category N vehicle, but can still be placed back on the road.

• Category N

  Formerly known as a category D write-off, a vehicle marked with a warning for Category N is a vehicle that can be repaired but the insurance company has deemed it uneconomical to do so. These vehicles can still be repaired, however, and placed back on the road.

• Theft

  A vehicle marked with a warning for Theft is a vehicle that has been recorded as having a theft marker on the date provided. It does not necessarily indicate that the vehicle remains stolen.

Please note that it is for you to satisfy yourself as to the quality, condition and provenance of the vehicle through your own inspection and enquiries and MOTORS shall accept no liability for any information prepared by it (in particular, where it is dependant and reliant on information provided by third parties and, for the avoidance of doubt, MOTORS does not undertake to check or scrutinise such information).