Independent Records Check
The servicing no manufacturer database holds
Every paid check is run against service records documented by previous keepers of the same vehicle — the independent garage work that dealer databases never see.
Find Your Car's Service History Online
Check your car's service history using official UK manufacturer dealership records. Enter a registration number to see every franchised dealer service on file — dates, mileages, and work performed.
Full dealership records for BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen and many more — plus partial coverage for many others. Your card is authorised but not charged unless we find records.
What are independent service records?
The gap it closes
A manufacturer’s database is a record of what its own dealers did. That is genuinely useful for the warranty years and close to silent afterwards, because the moment a car is serviced down the road the entry is made on a garage’s own system and nowhere else.
So the usual position for a ten-year-old car is that the servicing happened, the invoices exist, and none of it is checkable. Manufacturer history tells you about the franchised years. This picks up the story after that.
How a record earns its place
The bar to enter the database is deliberately much higher than the bar to put a record in your own book. A record is only included when all of the following hold:
- The evidence is on file. A photographed invoice, stamped page or job sheet sits behind it. Entries typed in by hand never enter the database.
- The keeper confirmed it. The person holding the paperwork reviewed what we read and confirmed it, from a verified email address.
- They chose to share it. An explicit, optional decision, separate from uploading, and withdrawable at any time.
- The mileage fits the MOT record. The claimed reading sits inside the vehicle’s DVSA odometer trail — public readings taken by a tester, that the contributor cannot edit.
- The document names this vehicle. The registration has to be printed on the paperwork and match.
- It is a service, not a purchase. A tyre or battery receipt does not prove a service was carried out.
- The evidence still exists. If a contributor removes their document, the record leaves the database — checks query it live, so it is gone from the next report rather than archived into it.
What we do not claim
This is honest evidence, not verified evidence, and the difference matters enough to spell out. We have not seen the car, spoken to the garage, or checked that the work described was carried out. Records appear in their own clearly labelled section, separate from the manufacturer history, and they say what they are.
The mileage check constrains the mileage figure only. A date, a garage name and a description of work are unchecked, and a well-made forgery with a plausible mileage would pass it. What the check does buy is that fabricating a history means making every figure agree with a public record you do not control, which is a materially harder problem than typing something plausible.
What is shared, and what never is
A matched record shows four things: the service date, the garage, the work performed and the mileage. That is all.
The documents themselves are never shown to anyone but the person who uploaded them. The contributor is never identified. The invoice reference and the garage’s VAT number are withheld — an invoice number is a lookup key into that garage’s system and would identify the customer to anyone who rang them. What anyone paid is never shared.
Adding your own car
Build a digital service book, photograph the paperwork you have, confirm the records we read from it, and tick the optional box to share those services with future buyers of the car. Your records appear on your own report either way — sharing is a separate choice and nothing depends on it.
It is the part of the effort that outlives your ownership. The independent servicing you document today is exactly the history the next keeper would otherwise have no way to prove — and it is included with every service history check (£9.99), alongside the manufacturer and MOT history.
Supported Brands
Manufacturer Records
We access service history data directly from manufacturer dealership systems — covering most European vehicles from 2012 model year onwards.
Full Service History
(18)Complete service records from manufacturer dealership systems, including service dates, mileage, work performed, and service provider details. Suitable for consumer reports and remarketing.
Workshop Remarks
(13)Workshop remarks including recalls and warranty work. Where workshop remarks align with service schedules, this strongly indicates a service was carried out.
Limited Coverage
(14)Data is returned in a minimal proportion of cases. Results depend on individual vehicle records and manufacturer system availability.
Why Service History Matters
Protect Your Investment
Missing service history is one of the biggest value killers when buying or selling a used vehicle. Don't leave money on the table.
Value lost without service history
More value with full service history
Of buyers won't buy without service history
If no records are found
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the independent records check?
It runs with every paid service history report. As well as the manufacturer's dealer records, your vehicle is checked against service records documented by previous keepers of that same car — the independent servicing that no manufacturer database holds.
Where do the records come from?
From owners who documented their own car with us: they photographed a garage invoice or a stamped service-book page, confirmed what we read from it, and chose to share the service with future buyers. The document stays on file behind each record.
Can I trust records another owner added?
They are honest evidence, not verified evidence, and the report labels them that way. Each one is backed by a document we hold, was confirmed by the person who holds that paperwork, and had its mileage checked against the vehicle's public DVSA MOT readings. We have not seen the car or spoken to the garage.
What is shown, and what stays private?
A matched record shows the service date, the garage, the work and the mileage. The documents themselves are never shown to anyone else, the contributor is never identified, the invoice reference and VAT number are withheld, and what anyone paid is never shared.
Will my own records appear on my own report?
Your records already appear on your report in their own section, so this check deliberately shows you records from other contributors only. Showing your own back to you as independent corroboration of yourself would be worthless and misleading.
How do I add my car?
Build a digital service book. Photograph your service book pages and invoices, confirm the records we read from them, and tick the optional box to share those services with future buyers. It is entirely optional — your records go on your own report either way.
How long does the service history check take?
Most reports arrive within 1–2 minutes of payment. We submit the lookup to the manufacturer dealer system as soon as the card is authorised. If the dealer system is slow we hold the order and email you the report when it lands — typically the same hour.
Will the report show services done at independent garages?
No. The manufacturer dealer system only holds records for visits to franchised dealerships. Independent garage services don't appear in the manufacturer database — that's the same gap any main dealer would see if you asked them directly. For independents, look for paper invoices or receipts from the seller.
Can I check service history without a registration?
If you have the 17-character VIN you can run the lookup at /check-service-history-by-vin instead. The VIN route is helpful for imports, vehicles awaiting registration, or auction stock. Otherwise the UK registration (VRM) is the easiest way to identify the vehicle.
What if the car is too old for digital records?
Manufacturer digital service records typically start around 2012. Earlier vehicles may have partial or no electronic records — the warning that appears at checkout flags pre-2012 vehicles. If we can't find any records your card isn't charged.
Is this the same as an HPI check?
No — an HPI check covers stolen markers, write-off categories, outstanding finance, and mileage anomalies. A service history check covers manufacturer dealer service records and DVSA MOT history. Used-car buyers usually want both: the HPI confirms the car is legitimately for sale; the service history confirms it's been maintained.
Related
More on service history checks
Ready to check a service history?
Enter the registration above to start. Reports arrive in minutes — your card is not charged if no manufacturer records are found.
Run a Service History Check — £9.99See exactly what you get — view a sample report