Buy your next car with confidence.

    Find the right car. Check it before you travel. Know exactly what to offer.

    Free, no sign-up. Official DVLA and DVSA data.

    Don't ask for a better price. Prove it.

    What UK used car buyers report.

    £1,288

    Average surprise repair bill after buying used

    Reported by the 37% of buyers who were hit with one.

    £896

    Average saved by buyers who negotiate

    Yet only 29% of buyers always try.

    28%

    Of used car buyers run a history check

    Fewer than 3 in 10 check before they buy.

    Sources: Blackcircles.com survey of 2,001 UK used car buyers, September 2026 (repair bills, history checks); CarGurus survey of 2,000 UK motorists, May 2023 (negotiation).

    How it works.

    From the listing to the handshake, on your phone.

    Front of a black Mercedes A-Class with its number plate in view
    Before you travel
    AF67 NDRMercedes A200

    Snap the plate

    Type the reg, snap the plate or drop in a screenshot of the listing.

    MOT mileage6 tests, 2020 to 2025mi
    TaxTaxedRecallsNone openVerdictWorth viewing
    Before you travel
    2 MOT advisories to ask about

    Know it before you go

    Tax, MOT history, mileage at every test, recalls and known faults. Free.

    Close-up of a dent on the rear door
    At the viewing
    Dent on the rear door, priced

    Walk round it in 30 seconds

    Film one slow lap, then snap anything you spot. Every mark gets a repair cost, priced for your postcode.

    Instrument cluster with an oil level warning showing
    At the viewing
    3 warning lights on

    Dashboard and under the bonnet

    We read the mileage, warning lights, oil, coolant and leaks from your photos.

    Rear of the Mercedes with its exhaust tips in view
    At the viewing
    Recording engine idle

    Listen, then drive

    Record the engine, then spoken steps for the steering, brakes and suspension.

    At the viewing

    Everything we check

    At the car, guided by voice.

    • Walk-round
    • Close-ups
    • Tyres and wheels
    • Warning lights
    • Mileage
    • VIN check
    • Oil
    • Coolant
    • Leaks
    • Engine sound
    • Steering
    • Brakes
    • Suspension
    • Vibration
    • Known faults
    • MOT advisories
    Front three-quarter view of the Mercedes
    Your decision
    Worth £9,400, not £10,500

    Buy with leverage, or walk away

    A grade, a cost for every fault, a fair price and what to say. Or a clear reason to walk.

    In every inspection report

    Priced for where you live.

    Garage labour costs nearly twice as much in London as in Newcastle. Add your postcode before the inspection and every repair on your report is priced at garage rates near you.

    So the figure you put to the seller is what the work would really cost you, not a national guess.

    The same dent on a rear doorSmart repair
    • London£195
    • South East£170
    • UK average£150
    • Scotland£135
    • North East£125

    AutoFinder's repair price, adjusted for typical independent garage labour rates in each region (2026): from about £58 an hour in the North East to £110 in London.

    Simple pricing. Pay per car.

    Pick how much you want checked. No subscriptions, no hidden fees.

    Screening

    Before you travel

    Free

    Two without an account, then 10 a month with a free one.

    • Included: MOT history and a verdict before you travel
    • Not included: Guided inspection at the viewing, every repair priced
    • Not included: History check: finance, write-off and theft
    • Not included: £10,000 Experian Data Guarantee

    Full Check

    Recommended

    Inspection plus history check

    £14.99

    One car, with an Experian history check

    Everything in Inspection, plus an Experian history check. Less than the two bought apart.

    • Included: MOT history and a verdict before you travel
    • Included: Guided inspection at the viewing, every repair priced
    • Included: History check: finance, write-off and theft
    • Included: £10,000 Experian Data Guarantee Terms

    Data provided by Experian

    Inspection

    At the viewing

    £5.99

    One car

    A guided inspection built for the exact car: the app walks you round it, prices every repair and gives you the words to say.

    • Included: MOT history and a verdict before you travel
    • Included: Guided inspection at the viewing, every repair priced
    • Not included: History check: finance, write-off and theft
    • Not included: £10,000 Experian Data Guarantee

    Not included: the finance, write-off and theft checks. Full Check adds them for £9 more a car.

    Just need a history check?

    Outstanding finance, write-offs, theft, salvage auctions and keeper changes. Run it on any reg from your dashboard.

    By Experian, with a £10,000 Data Guarantee

    Need more?
    £5.00 each

    10 history checks, £50.00

    See all options and enter your reg →

    A history check alone won't tell you if the engine's on the way out.

    A history check shows the car's past. A garage inspection costs hundreds and takes days to book. AutoFinder gives you both, live at the viewing, on your phone.

    AutoFinder

    Live + history

    • MOT history, tax and recalls, free
    • Finance, write-offs and theft with the Full Check
    • Condition at the viewing: body, tyres, lights, engine sound
    • Known faults for that engine and year
    • A price to offer and what to say

    History check services

    The car's past only

    • Finance, write-off and theft records
    • No look at the car itself
    • No engine or warning-light checks
    • No help on price

    A mechanic's inspection

    Booked ahead

    • A physical check of the car
    • No history check included
    • Days to book, £200+ per car
    • No use once you're already at the viewing

    Find me a car

    We check every car before you see it.

    And tell you which ones to leave well alone, and why.

    a reliable automatic under £12k near me

    8 of the 14 we checkedExample search
    AF67 NDR

    2017 Mercedes A200 AMG Line

    £10,500 · Automatic

    Checking

    YE15 QKP

    2015 Toyota Prius 1.8

    £6,995 · Automatic

    Checking

    LD17 QTR

    2017 BMW 320d

    £9,995 · Automatic

    Checking

    SN18 QGW

    2018 Toyota Auris 1.8 Hybrid

    £9,250 · Automatic

    Checking

    WN16 QHV

    2016 VW Golf 1.4 TSI DSG

    £8,450 · Automatic

    Checking

    FX16 QBL

    2016 Ford Focus 1.0 Powershift

    £5,995 · Automatic

    Checking

    DY19 QMT

    2019 Kia Niro 1.6 Hybrid

    £11,450 · Automatic

    Checking

    KM14 QDS

    2014 Mercedes C 220 d

    £8,995 · Automatic

    Checking

    5kept off your list, each with the reason
    3worth viewing, the best first

    Every car it shows has had the same free check you can run on any reg. Like one? The inspection and history check are a tap away on its card.

    Common questions.

    Tap a question to see the answer.

    Ready to buy with confidence?

    Don't leave your next car purchase to chance. Get the data you need to negotiate better.