Number of previous owners/keepers

The previous keepers should match the V5C document, and the count does not include the current keeper, or any dealers. The next owner of this vehicle will be owner 4

CO₂ ratings

The CO2 bandings are intended as a guide to the emission of this vehicle and equate to the previous or current Vehicle Excise Duty bandings. CO2 bandings only apply to cars first registered on or after 1st March 2001. If this vehicle is registered prior to this date, the Vehicle Excise Duty payable will depend on the car's engine size. New banding ranges will apply for Vehicles registered on or after 1st April 2017 and after their first tax payment, a fixed Vehicle Excise Duty is charged.

Police stolen

Instant Car Check provides information from the Police National Computer on vehicles that are currently recorded as stolen. These vehicles remain the property of the individual or organisation from whom they were taken. Never buy a vehicle that is flagged on this register, because you stand to lose it, together with the money you paid for it. For further information see FAQ.

Insurance theft

Each year 150,000 vehicle thefts are recorded by insurers. Instant Car Check will tell you if the vehicle you are looking to buy has an outstanding insurance interest recorded against it. Even if you buy this vehicle in good faith you may not be able to legally own it. For further information see FAQ.

Outstanding finance

Nearly two thirds of new vehicles sold every year are bought using some form of finance agreement . Some of these agreements will grant the finance company an 'interest' (i.e. ownership) in the vehicle which you will need to ensure has been paid off by the previous keeper before you buy it. With over 7 million current finance agreements registered with HPI, you need to make sure that the vehicle you are buying is not subject to one of them. If it is, you can use the details provided to contact the lender and determine the current status of the loan and any claim on ownership the finance company may have. For further information see FAQ.

Security watch

This register typically records vehicles at high risk of fraud or theft (e.g. hire cars, demonstrator vehicles and garage forecourt stock). The Security Watch register is primarily used by the Police, finance companies and the motor trade, to ensure that these vehicles can be traced if someone steals them or attempts to sell them fraudulently (for example - perhaps without first settling an outstanding agreement). The registering party will be alerted that an Instant Car Check has been made and they should contact you within the next working day, please contact us if this is not the case. You should not purchase a vehicle that is recorded on this register, until you receive confirmation that it is all clear from either the registering party or us.

Plate transfer

This register will let you know if a vehicle has had a legitimate license plate change since April 1990. People change plates to personalise their vehicles, but they can also be changed to hide a vehicle's history. Instant Car Check includes an enquiry check against all previous plates, to identify alerts that may still be associated with the vehicle you are buying. For further information see FAQ.

Condition alert

This register warns that a vehicle has been subject to an insurance total loss claim, or 'written-off', because of damage or because it has been stolen and not recovered. For vehicles written-off since January 1997, the HPI Check provides an insurer damage classification, A to D, ranging from those vehicles which should never go back on the road, to those which can be be safely repaired. Two new classifications were added in October, 2017, N and S which should over time replace the C and D classifications. Category N and S better describe the type of damage to the vehicle rather than the cost of repair.

Category A - Scrap only, parts are not salvageable, vehicle not permitted on the road and should be crushed.
Category B - Extensive damage, beyond repair. Parts are salvageable, vehicle not permitted on the road and should be scrapped.
Category C - Vehicle is damaged but repairable, cost of repair exceeds the pre-accident value of the vehicle.
Category D - Vehicle is damaged but repairable.
Category S - Structurally damaged but repairable, its important that these vehicles are repaired professionally.
Category N - Repairable non-structural damage.

In the case of Category C, between April 2003 and October 2015, the government mandated a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) before the vehicle could return to the road. This was to prevent vehicle cloning. Note that a VIC did not check the safety or quality of any repair. Only an MOT is currently required before a vehicle is permitted on the road.

In addition to the Condition Alert, you will be advised if the vehicle has been registered with DVLA as having been scrapped.

If you are considering purchasing a vehicle on the register, we strongly advise that you have it independently inspected by a reputable company for structural and mechanical integrity prior to purchase. For further information see FAQ.

Condition inspected

This register was introduced in 1990 and gives details of 'written off' vehicles that have since passed an independent structural examination. The inspection will have been carried out in accordance with a specification agreed with the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre (Thatcham). The seller may be able to provide an inspection report from one of the approved inspection companies. There may be a separate fee for this report. Instant Car Check will identify which company carried out the inspection and the reference number of the report.