Stolen Car Check

The report checks police stolen vehicle records. If the car has been reported stolen, it shows:

• the date it was reported stolen
• the police force that holds the report
• the force's phone number, where it is held

If a car is recovered and returned, the record is normally removed, so check close to the day you plan to buy.

Thieves sometimes put copied number plates on a stolen car, taken from a legal car of the same make, model and colour. A check on those plates comes back clear, because it is checking the legal car.

The way to catch a clone is to check that the car matches its paperwork:

• Match the VIN. The vehicle identification number is usually at the bottom of the windscreen and on a door pillar. It should match the one on the logbook (V5C).
• Check the logbook. A genuine V5C has a "DVL" watermark when you hold it up to the light. The seller's name and address should be on it.
• See the car at the address on the logbook. Be wary of a seller who wants to meet in a car park or at a service station.
• Compare the details. The colour, engine size and fuel type in the report should match the car in front of you.

The full report includes a VIN check: enter the VIN from the car and we will tell you if it matches the record.

• Do not buy the car and do not pay a deposit.
• Do not confront the seller. Leave politely and keep yourself safe.
• Call the police force named in the report, or 101, and give them the registration and where you saw the car. Call 999 if a crime is happening.

• Car finance check – Is money still owed on the car?
• Write-off check – Has an insurer written the car off?

The report also covers high-risk markers, scrapped status, keeper and plate changes, and the VIN. See a sample report.