Stolen car check: is it recorded as stolen?

A cloned car is a stolen car wearing the registration of a genuine one, usually the same make, model and colour, often copied from an advert. Run any check on that registration and it describes the genuine car, which isn’t stolen, so it comes back clean. That is the point of cloning.

The record still helps, because it describes the real car. The free checks below are about proving the car in front of you is that car.

1. Look the registration up. DVLA’s record and the MOT history give the genuine car’s make, model, colour, fuel and year, and the mileage at every MOT. A different colour or engine, or fewer miles on the clock than at the last MOT, is a reason to stop.
2. Match the VIN. The 17-character vehicle identification number is usually visible at the bottom of the windscreen, on a label or plate in a door frame, and stamped into the body. It must match the V5C exactly. Scratched characters, a plate held on with odd rivets, or a sticker over the number are warning signs.
3. Inspect the V5C. gov.uk’s buying checks say it should have a “DVL” watermark, and that if its serial number is between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or BI2305501 and BI2800000, it might be stolen — call the police.
4. Check when the V5C was issued. DVLA’s free vehicle enquiry shows the date the current logbook was issued, and so does our free car spec check. The V5C you’re shown should carry that date; an older one has been replaced.
5. View it at the address on the V5C. The keeper named on the logbook should be the person selling, at that address. Be wary of a seller who wants to meet in a car park or bring the car to you.
6. Ask for both keys and the paperwork. A missing spare key or service book happens. Several missing items, a price well under similar cars and pressure to pay cash quickly is the pattern to walk away from.

Don’t confront the seller and don’t hand over money. Leave, then call the police on 101, or 999 if a crime is happening. Give them the registration, the VIN if you saw it, the advert and the seller’s details.

If you’ve already bought it, tell the police. A stolen car generally has to go back to its rightful owner or their insurer, even if you paid in good faith, so you’d lose it and have to recover your money from the seller. That’s different from outstanding finance, where a private buyer is sometimes protected — see our outstanding finance check.

• Outstanding finance, with the lender, the type of agreement, when it started and its term.
• Stolen: whether the car is recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer, with the police force to contact.
• Insurance write-offs: the category (A, B, S or N, or the older C and D), the date of the loss and where the damage was.
• Salvage auctions: any listing, with the lot description, damage, mileage and links to the auction photos where they exist.
• DVLA history: scrapped, exported and imported markers, plate changes, colour changes, the number of previous keepers and V5C logbook dates.
• Experian’s Data Guarantee: up to £10,000 for 12 months from the check if the finance, stolen or write-off data turns out to be wrong. The check must be run before you buy, and Experian’s terms apply.

Data provided by Experian. The car check is £12.99 on its own, or £8.00 added to a manufacturer service history check (£17.99 for both). Your card is authorised when you pay and charged only for what’s delivered. It comes with Experian’s Data Guarantee: up to £10,000, or the car’s market value if lower, for 12 months from the check, if the finance, stolen or write-off data is wrong (Experian’s terms apply, and claims go to Experian). Finance and theft records change daily, so check again on the day you buy.