Buying a car is a really big investment, and every car buyer wants to purchase the best and most reliable car. The reliability of a vehicle depends on several factors but can only be determined with a car check and car history report, a mechanical inspection, and a test drive.
A car check provides vehicle keepers, car buyers, and car sellers with every recorded detail of the vehicle they are interested in. In this article, we will discuss how to check car details by number plate in the UK.
What is a car plate number lookup?
A car plate number lookup is a car check service that is provided by car history report companies in the automotive industry. With a car plate number lookup, car keepers, buyers, and sellers can be provided with the history, records, and information of any vehicle they are interested in.
According to RAC, 52% of UK vehicles have a hidden history that must be uncovered before purchase. These hidden records and histories give an overview of a car’s backstory, reliability, and dependability, leaving car keepers fully informed on the status of their vehicles and car buyers with the opportunity to make informed decisions.
How to check car details by number plate in the UK?
There are two major channels consumers could follow to check car details by number plate in the UK. They are:
- The DVLA.
- Smart Car Check’s Vehicle Enquiry Service.
The DVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provides a vehicle inquiry service where vehicle keepers, buyers, or sellers may gain access to the vehicle specifications of their registered cars. To successfully check a car’s details with the DVLA, consumers would need the following information:
- The vehicle registration number or plate number.
- The model, year, and color of the vehicle.
With this information, you can proceed with the car plate number lookup and access basic information about the vehicle through the DVLA website. If you are interested in collecting the past history and records of a vehicle, Smart Car Check’s Vehicle Enquiry Service is highly recommended.
Smart Car Check’s Vehicle Enquiry Service
Smart Car Check is one of the leading providers of car history reports in the United Kingdom. Their vehicle enquiry service has over time provided accurate car records and histories to vehicle keepers and consumers interested in purchasing used cars in the UK. With the vehicle enquiry service provided by SmartCarCheck, customers can have a full car history lookup and generate a detailed car history report for their vehicles with just the vehicle registration number or plate number.
A car check with SmartCarCheck gives full access to the following information:
Auction records
With the Smart Car Check car plate number lookup, vehicle keepers, sellers, and buyers can be informed of the auction records on their vehicles. With the auction history, you can discover if your vehicle has been auctioned in the UK and for what price, as well as what condition the vehicle was in during the auction with the detailed photos provided. In summary, you can find the following details:
- Seller Type
- Auction Type
- Auction Date
- Location
- VIN
- Title Type
- Title Description
- Primary Damage
- Secondary Damage
- Runs and drives
Previous keepers, plates, and color
Knowing the number of previous keepers and the history of ownership gives an idea of the age of the vehicle and the current condition of the vehicle. You can gain access to the dates of transactions, the number of keepers, and the dates of the last keeper’s change. Also provided after a UK license plate lookup are the plate change history and car color change history.
MOT and tax dues
Before purchasing a vehicle, a car check may be used to determine the MOT and tax due dates. You may discover if your vehicle is taxed or not and if it’s serviced by the MOT or not.
Detailed vehicle description
With a car license plate lookup, users may access the accurate vehicle description and specifications of their vehicles. Here, they will access the year, make, model engine, colors, dimensions of the car, body style, and so on.
Overall vehicle performance
Alongside the vehicle specifications and other important records, car keepers, car buyers, and enthusiasts may gain access to the vehicle’s performance, torque, power, acceleration, max speed, CO2 emissions history, and more.
Mileage history
Mileage plays a great role in estimating the age, performance, and value of a car. The higher the mileage, the cheaper the vehicle. When a consumer checks the car details by number plate, they are granted accurate odometer and mileage readings to help in making informed decisions and choosing the right vehicle. With this information, you can be able to determine mileage discrepancies and point out odometer fraud whenever possible.
MOT history
A car history report from SmartCarCheck contains the MOT history, which provides detailed information on the number of MOT tests your vehicle has passed and failed since it was first registered with the DVLA. The reports also contain advisory and annotation details.
Market value and running costs
The market value of a UK vehicle is the average price at which the vehicle is sold in the market. Real-time information is collected from various sources and provided to consumers with a vehicle history report. Running costs such as MOT costs, fuel costs, and taxes are not excluded from the details provided after a car number plate lookup.
Car alerts
Other pieces of information contained in a car history report from SmartCarCheck include the car alerts that could be on a vehicle. You may discover if your vehicle has been imported, exported, scrapped, or has open recalls. You may also discover car alerts on plate changes and color changes.
How do I look up a license plate number with Smart Car Check?
To gain access to a car’s history and records, a consumer would have to follow the steps below.
- Locate your car’s vehicle registration number.
- Navigate to the SmartCarCheck car plate number lookup tool.
- Fill out the provided form with the required information.
- Click on “Check Vehicle.”
Follow these steps, and you should have no problem generating a car history report for your vehicle and having unlimited access to your vehicle’s information.
Why should I utilize Smart Car Check’s car plate number lookup tool?
Smart Car Check’s vehicle enquiry service is recommended for consumers for the following reasons:
Better decision-making
With a car history report provided by SmartCarCheck, consumers are provided with the accurate history and records of their vehicles, and with this information, they can make informed decisions during car purchases, auctions, resale, and repairs. Most auctioned vehicles may have been damaged or rebuilt before the auction, and with a car history report, consumers would be provided with detailed information and could expose fraudulent activities.
Confirming reliability
Having the vehicle inspected and scheduling a test drive are great ways to determine a vehicle’s reliability, but having a car history report makes things a lot easier. A license plate check in the UK allows car buyers to make better decisions during car purchases, preventing them from purchasing a lemon and driving a defective vehicle home.
Exposing fraudulent activities
Odometer frauds and mileage discrepancies are fraudulent activities that can be observed in a vehicle if the buyer has access to the accurate odometer and mileage records. A concise and comprehensive car history report from SmartCarCheck provides this information to their customers in a clear and concise manner.
