We compared 10 UK car history check providers on the checks they include, what they cost, how clearly they flag risk, how transparent their pricing is and how easy the report is to use. Carpeep is our best overall car history check for 2026.
Last reviewed · Prices checked against each provider’s own site · How we score
#1 Best overall: Carpeep
#1 Best Overall 2026
Best Car History Check 2026
The most complete package for a single used-car purchase: every core risk check, a £30,000 guarantee and one clear £15 price with no tiers to decode.
✓Included Outstanding finance
✓Included Stolen vehicle check
✓Included Insurance write-off
✓Included: MOT mileage readings checked for inconsistencies Mileage check
Ranked by weighted score out of 10. Price is what you pay to check one car with the provider’s full check.
1Carpeep#1 Best Overall 2026The most complete package for a single used-car purchase: every core risk check, a £30,000 guarantee and one clear £15 price with no tiers to decode.9.0/10£15
2MotorCheckBest ValueThe best value full check we found: £9.99 buys finance, stolen, write-off, mileage and colour-change checks with a £30,000 guarantee.8.6/10£9.99
3RACA thorough full check with a £30,000 guarantee and import/export data, let down by a thin Basic tier and a Multi Check that doesn’t say how many checks it includes.8.3/10£14.99
4HPI CheckThe original, and still a benchmark for data depth and its £30,000 guarantee, but at £19.99 it is the most expensive single check here.8.2/10£19.99
5AABest Multi-Car DealHPI-supplied data and the £30,000 HPI guarantee for £14.99, plus the best multi-car deal here at £6 per check.8.1/10£14.99
6Total Car CheckGold is a strong £9.99 full check with a £30,000 guarantee, but the “£1.99” headline belongs to a tier without a finance check.8.0/10£9.99
7Car AnalyticsA well-specified £10.99 full check with high-risk and VIN checks, held back by a £10,000 guarantee that excludes mileage claims.7.5/10£10.99
8VCheckBroad coverage and the largest guarantee here (£40,000), but only bundle prices are published and the three tiers are hard to tell apart.7.4/10£24 for 3
9MyCarCheckCheapest Full CheckThe cheapest single full check at £8.49, with a useful free check, but no data guarantee is offered.7.3/10£8.49
10carVerticalBest for Damage HistoryStrong on damage records and international history, but UK finance and write-off checks aren’t clearly stated and the price isn’t published up front.6.0/10Not published
Compare what each check includes
Each tick is something the provider lists for its full check. A dash means the provider doesn’t mention it, which isn’t the same as confirming it’s missing.
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What each car history check includes, with score and price
✓Included: Stolen-vehicle records from multiple databases
–Not listed by provider: Damage and total-loss records listed; UK write-off categories not named
✓Included: Odometer rollback detection from multiple sources
–Not listed by provider
✓Included
–Not listed by provider
–Not listed by provider
None listed
8.0
4.0
✓ Included · ◐ Partial · ✕ Not included · – Not listed by the provider. Prices are the provider’s advertised price for its full check on 6 October 2026. “Report clarity” is our usability score and “Pricing” our pricing-transparency score.
A thorough full check with a £30,000 guarantee and import/export data, let down by a thin Basic tier and a Multi Check that doesn’t say how many checks it includes.
Full check
£14.99
Guarantee
£30,000
Best for
Buyers who want a big-name brand and import/export data
Score breakdown for RAC
Criterion
Weight
Score
Coverage and included checks
30%
9.0
Price and value
25%
8.0
Risk clarity
20%
8.5
Pricing transparency
10%
7.0
Report usability
15%
8.0
Weighted score
100%
8.3
Strengths
The Full Check lists import/export, MOT history and full plate history
£30,000 data guarantee, valid for two years
Includes RAC breakdown and MOT failure data
Weaknesses
Three tiers. The £9.98 Basic Check omits mileage, MOT and the guarantee
The £29.97 Multi Check doesn’t state how many checks it includes
The mileage check compares against the last MOT reading
Every provider is scored from 0 to 10 on five criteria. The overall score is the weighted average, and the ranking is simply that score from highest to lowest. We price the provider’s own full check, the package it presents as its complete history check, using the price advertised on its website.
Read the full methodology, including scoring rubrics, how we treat unpublished prices and the limits of this edition.
Scoring criteria and weights
Criterion
Weight
Coverage and included checks
30%
Price and value
25%
Risk clarity
20%
Pricing transparency
10%
Report usability
15%
The four checks that matter most
These are the risks that cost buyers the most money. Finance, theft and write-off records aren’t in free government data, so you need a paid check to see them. A check without all four isn’t a full history check.
Outstanding finance
Whether a hire purchase, PCP or other finance agreement is still recorded against the car. If it is, the lender may still own it.
Stolen vehicle check
Whether the car is recorded as stolen, normally against the Police National Computer.
Insurance write-off
Whether an insurer has recorded the car as a write-off, and the category (A, B, S or N).
Mileage check
Whether recorded mileage readings are consistent, to help spot clocking.
Common questions
Which car history check is best in 2026?
Carpeep scored highest overall (9.0/10). It combines every core risk check, a £30,000 guarantee, the clearest pricing in the comparison and a report that puts the risks first. Read the Carpeep review.
Is an HPI check the same as a car history check?
“HPI check” is used for any car history check, but HPI is a specific company. Several providers cover the same core checks with an equal guarantee for less. See how they compare with the official HPI Check.
Is a free car check enough?
No, not before you hand over money. Free checks use public DVLA and DVSA data such as MOT history and tax. They can’t show outstanding finance, theft or insurance write-offs. What free checks show.
Do these prices include VAT?
They are the consumer prices shown on each provider’s website when we checked. Providers change prices and run promotions, so confirm the price before you pay.