Login
My Garage
New hero

1 in 4 Cars Has a Hidden History

By Joanne Hogan | September 20, 2018

Share

Why not leave a comment?

See all | Add a comment

The chances of getting ripped off when you buy a used car are higher than you think.

1 in 4 Cars Has a Hidden History

According to research by Experian, 1 in 9 vehicles checked have been written off by an insurance company while 1 in every 7 vehicles has outstanding finance recorded against it.

There are different categories of write offs and it’s up to you as a car buyer to check. Cars that have been damaged are worth significantly less, so you should make sure that you do a full check before you buy.

It’s not illegal for dealers to sell cars with damage so don’t assume that because you are buying from a trader that it’s not a gamble. Bigger dealers and especially franchised ones should be safer bets.

The 7 write off categories are listed below

1 in 3 Cars Has a Hidden History   Image 0

Does the car even belong to the seller?

It’s an even bigger risk to not check the finance. If the car is damaged and you’ve bought it, at least it’s your car and you can maybe sell it on, albeit for a lower price. If there is finance outstanding on a car, the car still effectively belongs to the finance company and they could repossess it. This leaves you out of pocket and off the road.

Premium vehicle checks   

These cost from around £9.99 and include an insurance against poor information so if you do get ripped off due to missing or incorrect info, you could still get your money back. Basic checks are cheaper but don’t include the vital finance information so are best for very low-value cars.

A good check will also reveal mileage discrepancies in the MOT history, any plate changes and whether a vehicle is an import or not.

Related Articles

Jeremy Vine causes another social media storm after a van reverses into his bike. What do you make of this one?
The broadcaster is arguably the UK’s most prominent social cyclist as he films and uploads incidents from his rides.
Sep 19, 2023
Welsh Government defends introduction of 20mph speed limit despite eye-watering costs
The introduction has been labelled ‘absolutely insane’ by House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt
Sep 19, 2023
The best used cars for £5,000 and less
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, many of us might be looking to move away from finance agreements and to cheaper cars.
Sep 19, 2023
These are all the cars and vans made in the UK
The UK is renowned for its car industry, and though we might not produce as many cars as we once did more than half a million new cars were...
Sep 19, 2023