Buying a used car: the order to do it in
The sequence that catches the most problems for the least effort: free lookups before you travel, a paid history check before you commit, and a proper …
Approved Vehicles
Approved Vehicles is an independent reference on buying and owning a used car in the UK: history and MOT checks, emissions zones, consumer rights, finance structures and marque-by-marque inspection notes.
An independent used-car reference
Buying guides
The checks that are worth doing before money changes hands, and what the law actually gives you afterwards.
Buying a used electric car
Battery state of health replaces compression, warranty transferability replaces the cambelt question, and on some early cars the battery was leased …
Consumer rights when buying a used car
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a short-term right to reject a faulty car bought from a trader, and almost nothing when you buy privately. What the …
Diesel, petrol or hybrid: choosing on how you drive
The choice is decided by journey pattern rather than by fuel prices. Particulate filters need long runs, hybrids reward stop-start driving, and the …
Euro standards, the ULEZ and clean air zones
Diesel cars need Euro 6 and petrol cars need Euro 4 to drive in the London ULEZ without a daily charge. What the Euro standards are, where to find a …
Mileage and clocking: reading the numbers
Why a recorded mileage can be false, what the free MOT history actually proves, and the physical checks that no database performs.
Reading a car's MOT history
The MOT record is free, public and goes back to 2005. It shows recorded mileage at every test, failure reasons and advisories — which together tell …
The V5C and the rest of the paperwork
The log book is not proof of ownership, and forged and stolen V5Cs are how cloned vehicles get sold. What DVLA says to check, including the serial …
Marque guides
What each marque is known for in the UK, the engines and gearboxes you will meet on the used market, and the faults worth listening for.
Owning and selling
After the purchase: servicing records, what a warranty does and does not do, and what changes when you are the one selling.
Servicing: what it covers and why intervals differ
What a service actually includes, why manufacturer intervals vary so widely, and what a service history is evidence of when buying.
Warranties on a used car, and what the law gives you anyway
The difference between a warranty and your statutory rights, what third-party policies typically exclude, and why the distinction decides who you …
Selling a used car: routes, paperwork and pitfalls
Private sale against trade, what the seller is legally on the hook for, the V5C steps that go wrong, and the payment methods that get people caught.