What to Check When Viewing a Used Car: The Young Driver's Inspection Guide (2026)

Before you go: the checks you do from home

Don't view any car without doing this first. Fifteen minutes online can save you from buying something stolen, written off or with £3,000 of outstanding finance sitting on it.

Run an HPI check (or equivalent history report)

This costs around £10-£20 and cross-checks national databases for outstanding finance, insurance write-off status and theft records. Outstanding finance is a biggie. If a previous keeper took out a hire purchase agreement on the car and stopped paying, the finance company still owns that car. They can legally repossess it from you, even if you bought it in good faith and have a receipt.

The two main providers are HPI Check and Experian AutoCheck. Both pull from the same national databases. The AA and RAC also sell checks that use the same underlying data.

Check the free MOT history at gov.uk

Use the DVLA's free MOT history checker and go back through every test, not just the most recent pass. You're looking for two things: recurring failures on the same component (brakes or corrosion appearing year after year means the problem is never being properly fixed). And big mileage jumps between tests that don't add up.

Look up the insurance group before you travel

For a young driver, target groups 1 to 10. Groups are set by the Association of British Insurers based on repair costs, performance, security and new car value. A car in group 8 might cost half the annual premium of the same-looking car in group 18. Check the exact group at thatcham.org. It varies by engine, so check the specific variant you're looking at. For a full breakdown of how the system works, see our car insurance groups explained guide.

Check for modifications before you look at anything else

Look for these on any used car:

Aftermarket alloy wheels bigger than the standard fitment. Compare the wheel size against the manufacturer's spec (search the model name and “standard wheel size”). Oversized wheels are heavy, alter handling and might attract thieves.

Tinted windows. Front side windows must let at least 70% of light through. Some aftermarket tints fail this and will get you pulled over. Check using the 70% rule. If it looks obviously dark through the front windows, it's probably illegal.

Lowered suspension. It looks cool when done right, but isn't a good idea on a first car. Crouch at each corner and check the gap between the tyre and the arch. If there's hardly any clearance, the car has been lowered. This changes the handling and voids the standard insurance profile.

Aftermarket exhausts. If the exhaust is massive and/or very loud then it's probably aftermarket. Sports exhausts signal a higher-risk driving style to insurers and push cars into higher insurance groups.

Upgraded audio systems. Non-standard speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers are visible in the boot or doors. They could attract break-ins and can be wired badly enough to cause electrical fires.

If the car has any of these, you need to declare them to your insurer before you buy. Get a quote first. Sometimes the premium difference is modest. Sometimes it makes the car uninsurable at a sensible price. If you're still working out how to structure the insurance itself, our named driver vs own policy guide covers the main options for young drivers.

The exterior inspection

Always view a car in daylight and in dry conditions. Rain hides dents. Artificial light makes mismatched paint look uniform.

Panel gaps. Crouch near each headlight and look down the full length of the car. The gaps between bonnet, wings, doors and tailgate should be even and symmetrical all the way round. Uneven gaps, panels that sit proud of each other, or doors that need slamming. These point to crash damage that's bent the underlying chassis.

Paint matching. Look at the colour on adjacent panels. Fresh paint from a body shop often has a slightly different metallic flake pattern or a rougher texture on the inside edges of panels. A car that's been resprayed isn't automatically a problem, but you want to know why.

Rust. Check the wheel arches, door sills and the bottom edge of each door. A small paint bubble is often much worse underneath. If you're viewing a car that's more than eight years old or was registered in Scotland or a coastal area, get underneath and tap the frame rails and sill sections with a key. Metal that flakes or sounds hollow is corroded through. Walk away.

The magnet test. Run a small fridge magnet over the body panels. If it doesn't stick in a patch, that area has been filled with plastic body filler. Filler is used to hide crash damage or rust holes. Not always a dealbreaker, but worth knowing.

Tyres

The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tyre. Use the 20p test: press a 20p into the tread grooves. If you can see the outer rim of the coin, you're below 3mm. Still legal, but replace them soon.

Uneven wear gives a clue about the car's mechanical health. Heavy wear on the inner or outer edge of a tyre points to wheel alignment issues or worn suspension components. Both cost money to fix. Scalloping (a lumpy, uneven surface across the tread blocks) means the shock absorbers have failed.

Check for sidewall bulges. A bulge means impact damage to the tyre's internal structure. The tyre can blow out at speed. It needs replacing before the car is driven again.

Look at the brands. Tyres from a well known brand (Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Avon, Toyo, Goodyear) is a good indication that the previous owner maintained it properly. Four different budget brands from four different eras suggest the opposite.

Under the bonnet

Start with a cold engine. Ask the seller not to warm the car up before you arrive. As Mat Watson explained in an Auto Express used car buying guide: “a damaged engine will make all sorts of horrible noises before it warms up.” A warm engine masks all of that within minutes.

Pull the dipstick. Good oil is golden or light brown. Black, thick oil means the car hasn't been serviced on schedule. Check the level too. Running a small-capacity engine low on oil wrecks the bearings fast.

Check the coolant. The fluid in the expansion tank should sit between the min and max markers. Low coolant means a leak somewhere. Combined with the mayonnaise sign above, it's confirmation of a head gasket problem.

Ask about the timing belt. On most popular first cars, the cambelt needs replacing every 60,000 to 100,000 miles or every five to ten years. If it snaps, the engine is usually destroyed. No service record for this? Factor £400-£600 into your offer or walk.

The test drive

Twenty minutes minimum, covering residential streets, faster roads and some speed bumps or rough tarmac. This isn't negotiable.

Clutch. Most first cars are manual. Feel where the biting point is. If the pedal is almost fully released before the car starts moving, the clutch is worn. To confirm, use the test Mat Watson describes: “cruise along at 25mph then pop it into third, accelerate hard and if the revs rise but the car doesn't actually increase in speed… your clutch could be wearing out.” Replacement costs £300-£600 on a small car. If you'd rather avoid the clutch entirely, see our automatic first cars guide.

Gears. Every change should feel clean. Grinding when selecting a gear means worn synchromesh. That's gearbox damage. Expensive.

Brakes. The car should stop straight. If it pulls left or right, a caliper is binding. If the pedal pulses underfoot or the steering wheel vibrates during braking, the discs are warped. Neither is a safety emergency but both need fixing.

Suspension. Drive over a speed bump slowly. Any clunking or thumping from the wheel arches points to worn bushes, ball joints or shock absorbers. Before you set off, push down hard on each corner of the car. It should bounce once and settle. If it keeps bouncing, the shock absorbers are gone.

Steering. On a straight, flat road, briefly and carefully take your hands off the wheel. The car should track straight. If it drifts to one side, the tracking is out (cheap to fix) or the chassis is bent after a collision. The latter is not cheap.

Interior electrics. While you're in the car: test every window, the air conditioning (should blow cold within a couple of minutes), central locking, infotainment, heated rear window. Turn the ignition on before starting the engine and watch the dashboard. Usually the warning lights come on briefly and go out. An airbag light that stays on is an MOT failure and a safety problem.

Paperwork on the day

The V5C logbook. The V5C proves who is responsible for the car. It doesn't prove ownership. A car with outstanding finance on it belongs to the finance company, not whoever holds the V5C. Check the seller's name and address match the V5C and their ID. If they're selling from a different address with no explanation, that's a red flag.

VIN check. The 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number should match across the V5C, the plate visible through the base of the windscreen and the plate inside the driver's door sill. Any mismatch means the car may have been cloned: a stolen car given a legitimate identity. Call the police and leave.

Service history invoices. A stamped service book looks reassuring. Stamps are easy to forge. What you want are the original garage invoices, which show the exact oil grade used, the work carried out and the date. For any car approaching a major service interval (timing belt, water pump), no invoice means assume it hasn't been done.

Should you pay for a professional inspection?

If neither you nor the person helping you is confident doing these checks, yes. It's worth it.

Three main options in the UK:

The maths is straightforward. A £100 inspection that identifies a £600 cambelt job or a failing clutch pays for itself immediately. For a first car purchase, it's a sensible call.

Expert tips

Never view a car in the dark or rain. Sellers sometimes suggest evening viewings out of convenience, but lighting conditions hide serious bodywork and paint problems.

Take someone with you who drives regularly. An experienced driver has an instinctive feel for how a healthy car should sound and respond. They'll notice a heavy steering feel or an odd clutch biting point that a new driver won't.

Check the mileage against the MOT history. Every MOT includes a recorded mileage. If the current odometer reads less than a previous MOT entry, the car has been clocked. That's fraud and also means you have no idea of the car's real wear.

A clean engine bay isn't always good news. A recently steam-cleaned engine can hide fresh oil leaks that would otherwise be obvious.

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying on the same day you view. There's no urgency that justifies skipping checks. If a seller is pressuring you to decide now, that tells you something.

Skipping the HPI check because the seller seems trustworthy. Outstanding finance stays with the car, not the person. The seller may not even know it's there if they bought the car the same way.

Assuming comprehensive insurance covers modifications. It doesn't, unless you've declared them. An undeclared modification can void a claim entirely.

Letting the seller warm the car before you arrive. A warm engine is a mask. If the seller starts the car before you get there, ask them why and factor that into your assessment of what they might be hiding.

Forgetting to check if the car is ULEZ compliant. If you live in or near London or another low emission zone, check the car meets the required emissions standard before buying. Older diesels in particular can attract daily charges of £12.50+.

Forgetting to tax the car before driving it home. Road tax does not transfer between keepers in the UK. The moment you complete the purchase, the old tax is cancelled. Use the 12-digit reference on the V5C/2 new keeper slip to tax it online before you drive.