The Benefits of Carrying Out an HPI Check on a Used Vehicle

Used cars are the most popular choice for buyer’s due to the significant cost savings to be made. However, it’s a lot riskier to buy a used car; particularly from a private seller.

There’s no guarantee the information provided to you is 100% true. So, without realising it, you could be investing in a vehicle that’s going to need a lot of maintenance, or at the worst, a potential death trap.

However, there is a way to ensure you don’t fall victim to unreliable sellers. HPI checks are readily available online and they really help to give you peace of mind when buying a used vehicle.

Understanding HPI checks

HPI checks are designed to reveal details of a car’s history. Typically, you just need the vehicle’s license plate to run it through a check. There are free HPI checks available, but the paid ones from companies such as HPI Limited, tend to be more detailed and reliable.

They’ll typically reveal:

  • MOT history
  • Outstanding finance
  • Whether the vehicle is stolen
  • How many previous owners it has had
  • Engine size
  • Door plan
  • Colour of car

HPI also have granted access to the national mileage register which can point out any potential mileage discrepancies, as well as giving the manufacturers details for specific cars at the time of completion. Allowing for them to check and compare the state of the car later on in its car life cycle.

All of this information can be extremely useful in ensuring you end up with a good investment. So, let’s look at the benefits an HPI check provides.

The official HPI check is only done by the HPI company but, there other companies out there that can produce and offer a similar service. Quick checks can be done in minutes. For a more detailed report these come at a much higher cost. You can also access some services through an app on your phone. The cost to have this check varies largely from company to company ranging from as little as £3 up to £30. If you want a more detailed report then providing your VIN,V5 registration document, serial number and your V5 registration issues date in order to receive a much more detailed report.

The benefits of an HPI check

So, how exactly can the information revealed, benefit you? Well, the MOT history is a great way to check the certificate you’re presented with is accurate. If a seller is trying to hide something on the MOT, it’s a serious red flag!

The fact it shows outstanding finance on the vehicle is also a significant benefit. Finance is extremely popular and the majority of cars in the UK have been taken out on some kind of financial. The trouble is, if there’s still finance owed on the vehicle, the new owner becomes responsible for paying it off – that’s you! So, if you don’t want to discover you now owe thousands of pounds of finance, it’s worth having an HPI check carried out! Finding out whether the vehicle is stolen is also a huge benefit. The last thing you want is the police knocking on your door!

As well as outstanding finance has your car ever been written off in the past. Though these vehicles may have been repaired and deemed suitable for use, its best to see proof that they will be safe and reliable on the roads. Having a vehicle identity check will confirm with the DVLA that the make, model, door plan, colour, engine size, and the number of previous car users are exact and match the car sellers description right. A stolen V5 document checks if the V5 document that you have been given with the car is of a stolen batch if so this can difficult to trust the authenticity of the car. Plate transfer isn’t something to worry too much over but it’s worth checking out in case the plates have been used previously to hide a cars shady past!

Some things that don’t show up on a HPI check include detailed information of the current and the previous owners (This information won’t help with checking the legitimacy of the car so it’s left out) it also won’t provide information about every accident that has occurred or the cars service history.

Overall, the above are just some of the many benefits that come from having an HPI check carried out on a used vehicle. Why take the risk when there’s a way to protect yourself before parting with your hard-earned cash?

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