Rated 4.8 'Excellent' on

Free Car History Check

Enter your registration or VIN to check car history instantly. See accidents, finance, owners, MOTs, and more.
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Vehicle check report on a phone for Ford Focus RS showing 'PASS' and no issues like finance, theft, or imports, with green ticks.
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What is a Car History Check?

A car history check allows you to find vehicle history using just a registration plate or VIN. You’ll get vital information such as MOT records, write-offs, previous owners, and more. For complete peace of mind, upgrade to a full auto history check including HPI car check data, theft status, outstanding finance, and import/export history.

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MOT & Mileage History

Check car history instantly to view full MOT records, mileage patterns, and failed test alerts.

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Stolen Vehicle Alerts

Find out if the vehicle was ever reported stolen using police records and insurance databases.

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Outstanding Finance & Write-Offs

Uncover outstanding finance, past accidents, and HPI vehicle check data before you buy.

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Ownership & Vehicle Identity

Get vehicle history including previous owners, plate changes, import/export status and scrappage data.

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How Do I Check Vehicle History?

To view car history, just enter the reg or VIN and click 'Check History'. Our tool runs a full vehicle history lookup using official DVLA, police, and HPI car check sources.

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Enter Registration or VIN

Start by entering the vehicle’s registration number or 17-digit VIN to begin your auto history check.

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Check Car History

Click the button to instantly run a car history search. We find car history across all trusted UK sources.

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Get Full Report Instantly

Your detailed vehicle history report will be available within seconds—complete with HPI check info.

Rated 4.8 'Excellent' on Trustpilot

Easy to use website. Fast results.

The car history check is a must if your buying a second hand car which I was recently contemplating. The car owl check flagged a red warning so I declined the purchase. Well worth the money, thankyou.

Great product, service & price

I nearly bought a car that looked perfect—until Car Owl flagged it as a write-off. Dodged a huge expense!

Great service told me everything I needed to know about a car.

Does what it says, provided me with a full history report for a car I wanted to buy. Quick and easy. Will use again in the future

Easily the best online history checker I've used. The report told me everything I needed to know about the car I was going to buy for my daughter as she's just past her test and was looking for a second hand car. This service is easy for old folk like myself looking for a simple way to check over cars before purchasing.

The customer service was very good and very responsive. They also gave a lot of suggestions for selling the car as the deal was not successful.

Quick response from a member called Milly. Very helpful and polite and explained the process throughout.

It's great, and it's free. No hassle sale. Thanks once again.

Listed my car within the first hour got an offer I was happy with. Buyer accepted same day. Overall 5/5 exceptional service and I have recommended to friends and family.

Was referred by a friend. Easy to use and friendly support. Sold my Toyota Aygo through car owl and didn't have to pay any fee. Thankyou and good luck in the future!

Great service, easy to use. Got a price I was happy with buyer collected next day. Can’t fault it, Will use again.

Very easy process, uploaded my car details along with service history and received an offer I was happy with. After accepting the offer the buyers details were presented to me, gave them a quick call and arranged for my car to be collected next day. Very straight forward.

Great website and cheap fees!

I can highly recommend Car Owl. I received the best price for my car and the whole experience was quick and seamless. I had brilliant and professional service from start to finish.

Thanks. Helpful support team, got a great price for my car. Recommend.

Very good experience both times. Very easy platform to use and the customer service was great both times. Highly recommend.

My experience with Car Owl was very easy, received offers I was happy with and sold it the next day. Really great service and quick. Would recommend.

Was recommended by a friend, easy to use and got the price I wanted! Would recommend. Helpful support team, the dealer which won my car was fully verified and very friendly when collecting my car. Thanks once again!

Made selling my Hyundai very easy. My car was accepting offers quickly I received offers from dealers quickly, sold within 3 days. A+ would highly recommend.

I was initially skeptical about selling my car online, but Car Owl made it so easy. The team was supportive, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quick response from potential buyers. A fantastic experience overall!

Selling my car with Car Owl was a great decision. The platform is user-friendly, and the process is transparent. I submitted my car details, and within a few hours, I received multiple offers from verified dealers. The team at Car Owl was very supportive and guided me through the entire process. I was able to compare offers and choose the best one for my car. The transaction was smooth, and I received payment promptly. I would definitely use Car Owl again in the future.

I recently sold my car through Car Owl, and I must say, the experience was fantastic. The process was straightforward, and the staff were very helpful. They connected me with verified dealers who offered competitive prices for my car. I didn't have to worry about haggling or dealing with time-wasters. Car Owl took care of everything, and I got a fair price for my car. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking to sell their car quickly and easily.

I recently used Car Owl to sell my car and had a great experience. The process was simple and straightforward. I just had to enter my car's registration number, fill out a few details, and upload some photos of the vehicle. Within a few hours, my car was approved and I began receiving offers from verified UK car dealers. I was impressed by the variety of offers I received and the transparency of the process. I was able to compare offers and choose the one that was best for me. The best part of it was that it was all done online, and I didn't have to deal with any middlemen or haggling. I would highly recommend Car Owl to anyone looking to sell their car quickly and easily.

Great customer service team and such a conveniently quick way to sell your car.

This was a quick and convenient way to sell my car. Great experience from start to finish!

Very easy to sell my car, dealer came next day, payment was instant, would recommend.

A big thank you! I’ve sold a few cars in my life but this is far and away the easiest I’ve ever found it! Highly recommend you give them a go 👌

Got recommended by a friend. Wasn’t expecting it to be as quick and convenient as it was, couldn’t have gone better for me. Will definitely come back if I ever need to sell again.

Very easy way to sell your car. Convenient & simple to use.

Recommended by a family member. Was very easy to use, highly recommended!

Very user-friendly! Definitely recommend if you are looking to buy or sell a car.

Out of all the options by far the easiest! Top service, cheers.

Very positive, Fast response, and really easy navigating the website. I would highly recommend this to anyone, finally got the audi a3 that I've dreamed of.

Amazing service, prompt response, reliable and all round great company. Couldn’t recommend enough.

Great service. User-friendly.

It's great. Much easier to use than motorway.

A fresh approach to buying and selling any car.

Simple & straight forward, all that is wanted when selling your car.

Thought I’d give carowl ago after a friend’s recommendation. Grateful I did! Such an easy process and a brilliant result. Try it..you won’t be disappointed!

Simple and easy to list your car, very quickly did I have dealers bidding on my car. Will be recommending to friends and family.

Really good to buy stock as a dealer. Easy to communicate with the seller.

I put my car on carowl after struggling to find anyone to buy it myself. I had a quite few offers within the first few days and sold not too soon afterwards at a price I was happy with. I just wish I put it on carowl sooner.

Common Car History Report Issues

A full car history lookup can uncover hidden issues that cost buyers dearly. Below are the most common flags people discover when they check vehicle history before buying.

Why Does Outstanding Finance Matter?

If you find outstanding finance on a car, it means a lender still owns it. Buying it puts you at risk of losing the vehicle. Our HPI car check ensures finance issues are spotted early.

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Black car parked in a driveway with an MOT logo overlay

Can I See if a Vehicle Was Written Off?

Yes. Our car history search will tell you if the vehicle was previously written off or damaged in an accident. This affects value, safety, and resale.

What Is a Mileage Discrepancy?

Mileage discrepancies show when someone may have tampered with the odometer. We cross-check multiple records to uncover mileage fraud before you buy.

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Why Use a Vehicle History Check?

Buying a used car without a history check is a huge risk. Our tool helps you find car history, view hidden problems, and get full confidence before you buy.

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Trusted HPI Vehicle Checks

Access official HPI vehicle check data to protect yourself from hidden finance and legal risks.

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Complete Auto History Reports

Get vehicle history with details on ownership, colour changes, MOT fails and more.

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Check Car History Instantly

Check any car’s history by registration or VIN—view it in seconds before making a costly mistake.

Run a Full Car History Lookup Now

Fast, Accurate & Trusted by Thousands

Use our powerful car history search to uncover everything you need to know about a used vehicle. Run a check today to see car history instantly and avoid expensive surprises.

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Get Full Vehicle History

View car history in one easy report—accidents, finance, MOT history, theft and more.

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Find & Check Car History

Looking to find car history fast? Our tool gives you a complete vehicle background check instantly.

Start Your Car History Check Today

Ready to view vehicle history? With Car Owl, you can access trusted auto history reports powered by official DVLA, police, insurance and HPI data. Instantly uncover hidden issues such as outstanding finance, previous accidents, mileage discrepancies and theft status.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I run a free car history lookup?

Enter your number plate or VIN on our homepage to start a free car history lookup. You’ll instantly see basic vehicle details like engine size, fuel type, and model.

What’s the difference between a free check and a full car history report?

The free check gives you essential details. A full report uncovers outstanding finance, write-offs, stolen status, MOT history, mileage issues, and includes an official HPI check.

Can I check any UK vehicle by reg or VIN?

Yes. You can run a car history check on any UK-registered vehicle using its registration number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

What details are included in the full car history check?

Our full check reveals outstanding finance, write-off history, theft alerts, mileage discrepancies, colour changes, MOT history, previous owners, scrapped status, imports/exports and more.

Is this the same as an HPI check?

Our car history check includes an official HPI check alongside extra data from the DVLA, police records, and trusted third parties for a full vehicle history view.

How quickly do I get results?

You’ll get your report instantly. Once you’ve entered your details and chosen your plan, your full vehicle history report is available within seconds.

Do you offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes. If we fail to find any data when there should be history available, we’ll refund your report—no questions asked.

Why should I check a car’s history before buying?

A car that looks fine on the surface may hide serious issues like unpaid finance, write-offs or theft. A full history check gives you peace of mind and protects your money.

FULL HISTORY CHECK

Instant Vehicle History Checker

Get a comprehensive 90+ point check and uncover the full story behind any vehicle.