Used-car wisdom, written for UK buyers.
Practical guides to the UK used-car market — what to check, what each marker means, and what to spend on each age band.
All guides
9 May 2026 · 7 min read
How to spot a clocked car (UK 2026)
Citizens Advice estimates 1 in 16 used UK cars has a mileage discrepancy. The DVSA paper trail makes clocking the easiest fraud to catch — if you know what to look for.
- mileage-fraud
- buying-guide
9 May 2026 · 8 min read
What an HPI check actually covers (and what it doesn't)
Outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off categories, mileage verification, keepers, VIN match, import status and DVLA data — what 'HPI clear' actually means.
- hpi-check
- buying-guide
9 May 2026 · 6 min read
UK insurance write-off categories explained (Cat A, B, S & N)
Since October 2017 the UK has used four insurance write-off categories: A, B, S and N. Here's what each means, what you can and can't do with each, and how they affect price.
- write-off
- buying-guide
- insurance
9 May 2026 · 9 min read
Used-car buying checklist UK (private & dealer, 2026 edition)
Twenty-five things to verify before you hand over money. Pre-viewing checks, in-person inspection, the test drive, paperwork — in the order they actually happen.
- buying-guide
- checklist
9 May 2026 · 6 min read
Common UK MOT failures by car age (2026 data)
First-time MOT pass rates fall predictably with age — and the things that fail change too. Here's what tends to fail at 3, 6, 10 and 15 years old.
- mot
- ownership
9 May 2026 · 7 min read
Imported car checklist (UK 2026): what to verify before buying
Imported cars are common and often legitimate, but they need extra checks. NOVA, IVA, the VED date question and the language barrier on service history.
- import
- buying-guide
Looking for a tool instead? Browse the free UK car tools →