Buying a second hand car can be a tricky business - it's almost impossible to tell a vehicle's past just by looking at it. Once you've found the car you want, getting its history checked out can avoid any nasty surprises down the line, and give you reassurance before you buy.
Of the cars we check, we've found that:
- 1 in 3 has a hidden history
- 74 are cars identified as stolen daily
- 1,771 a day are an insurance write-off
- 1 in 3 has outstanding debt
- The average amount of finance on a car is £11k
- 1 in 16 has a mileage discrepancy
Statistics based on cars checked by HPI® Ltd in 2017.
Outstanding finance
Nearly two thirds of new vehicles are bought using a finance agreement each year - which have to be paid off before they can be sold. HPI holds information on over 7 million current finance agreements and can check your car against them.
Write-offs
Cars can be written off as a total loss by an insurer after an accident, damage or theft. Although they can legitimately be allowed back on the road, almost half are beyond repair.
Stolen cars
We check the Police National Computer (PCN) register for stolen vehicles. You shouldn't buy a car listed on here as you stand to lose it - along with the money you paid for it.
