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Car check guides#
Buying a used car in the UK means reading a lot of jargon: Cat S, HP, PCP, V5C, advisories, SORN. These guides explain what each of them actually means, in plain English, and what to do about them when they show up on a vehicle history report.
Every guide is written around the same data you'll see on a Check The Reg report - free DVLA tax and MOT history for any UK reg, with an optional paid write-off, theft, finance and mileage check.
The big questions#
- What is a write-off? Cat A, B, S and N explained
- Outstanding finance on a car - what it means for a buyer
- How to read a car's MOT history
- Mileage clocking: how to spot a car with wound-back miles
Understanding the paperwork#
- The V5C logbook: keepers, owners and issue dates
- Checking the VIN and engine number against the car
- Car tax (VED) explained: bands, rates and SORN
Less common, still important#
- Imported and exported vehicles: what the markers mean
- Scrapped cars and the Certificate of Destruction