▸ Classification · History & Provenance
Data sourced from DVLA, MIAFTR, contracted stolen-vehicle data and the UK lender register at lookup time.
Typical lookup completes in under one second from the UK.
Built and supported in the UK as part of the consumer side of the network.
DVLA records each notified colour change with its date. Repainting is entirely legal and often cosmetic, but a colour change registered within weeks of a write-off entry or a plate transfer is the combination worth asking about, because together those three events are a familiar identity-laundering pattern.
For vehicles over £10,000, ex-fleet stock, anything advertised as 'just imported' or any car where the registered address sits a long way from the listing, treat a summary check as a starting point rather than the verdict. a full vehicle history report, a pre-purchase inspection at the seller's address and a finance settlement letter where applicable are the three layers that catch the cases a quick lookup will not.
If a vehicle has been logged as stolen and that report has reached the UK stolen-vehicle data we consume under contract, the marker is returned in the check. We do not query the Police National Computer directly; only UK police forces have that access. Because the underlying register is updated by insurers and police forces themselves, a 'no marker' result reflects the position at lookup time. The check should be re-run on the day of collection for any private purchase, since the record can change between viewing and handover.
/ Brand consolidation
freecarhpi.com is now part of Expert Car Check — the consolidated UK vehicle-data platform that several of these older brands have joined. The data sources are unchanged: DVLA's vehicle record, DVSA's MOT history, MIAFTR for write-offs, contracted UK data providers for stolen-vehicle markers and the UK lender register for outstanding finance. The team and the support contact are the same. What's changed is that the work that was previously spread across several smaller brands now sits in one place, which keeps response times tight and the underlying registers maintained against current DVLA schemas. Bookmarks and historic links to freecarhpi.com continue to resolve here. If you were referred to freecarhpi.com by a previous report, broker or print listing, this is the right page — there is no further redirect to chase.
Visit expertcarcheck.com →/ Common questions
Yes. The same lookup engine covers cars, vans, motorbikes and HGVs, and the report adapts to the vehicle class — van checks include plated weights, motorcycle checks include frame and engine number verification, HGV checks include operator licence notes.
It confirms that at the moment of lookup no insurer, lender or police force has logged a marker against the vehicle. It does not guarantee mechanical health or undeclared cash repairs. Re-run the check on the day of collection, since records can change between viewing and handover.
Most often it is a typing error or a personal plate not currently assigned. It can also mean the vehicle has been exported or scrapped. Confirm the registration against a photograph of the V5C before drawing any conclusion.
Yes, though the risk profile is different. A franchised dealer has usually run its own check and carries statutory obligations a private seller does not, but the report still tells you about category history that affects future resale value.
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One field. A typical lookup completes in under a second, using the same UK vehicle records relied on by trade buyers and insurers.