HPI Check
An HPI Check is a vehicle-history report that tells a dealer whether a car has outstanding finance, has been written off by an insurer, is recorded as stolen, or has had mileage discrepancies — the standard provenance check in UK trade.
HPI (Hire Purchase Information) is the original UK provider of vehicle-history data, now one of several (Cazana, Experian AutoCheck, CarVeto, etc.). Every serious used-car transaction — retail, trade, or auction — relies on some form of HPI-style check to verify the car isn't encumbered or materially misrepresented. Buying an HPI-fail car without knowing is the fastest way to lose money in used cars.
What an HPI Check covers
- Outstanding finance — is there a finance agreement still registered against the VRM?
- Write-off category — Cat A, B, S, or N insurance-loss markers.
- Stolen register — is the vehicle reported stolen with the police?
- Mileage anomalies — previous recorded mileages out of sequence with current.
- Plate transfers and previous VRMs.
- Number of previous keepers.
What HPI doesn't guarantee
HPI data comes from insurers, finance houses, and DVLA — not from physical inspection. A clean HPI doesn't mean the car is mechanically sound, accident-free, or has genuine mileage; it means no one has recorded a flag. Structural accident damage that wasn't insurance-claimed, cloned plates, and odometer tampering between check points can all slip through. Physical inspection is still required.
Related terms
V5C (Logbook)
The V5C is the DVLA-issued registration document ('logbook') that records the registered keeper of a vehicle in the UK, along with its VIN, engine number, colour, and technical details. No legitimate vehicle sale happens without it.
Trade Price
Trade price is the price a vehicle changes hands at between two dealers — significantly below retail, without VAT on the margin (when sold Margin Scheme) and without retail preparation or warranty built in.
Put the terms to work
Source and sell stock with verified UK dealers. 90-day free trial, no card required.