Used car buyers face hidden risks, costly history checks

Buying a used car has never been more expensive or potentially risky, with millions of motorists now relying on independent vehicle history checks to avoid hidden financial pitfalls that can cost thousands of pounds. After years of pandemic shortages, inflated secondhand prices and growing demand for cheaper alternatives to new models, Britain’s used car market remains a minefield for buyers trying to separate a good deal from a financial nightmare. With electric vehicles entering the mix in larger numbers, many drivers are making major purchase decisions with less confidence than ever before.

The biggest problem for buyers is that modern used cars are harder to judge at face value than they once were. A quick walk around a car park used to reveal most of what people needed to know, such as rust, smoke or rough running engines. But modern cars are far more complex, and many of the biggest risks are now effectively invisible. A vehicle can look immaculate and still carry tens of thousands of pounds of unpaid finance attached to it. It could have been stolen, written off by insurers or cloned using another vehicle’s identity. In some cases, buyers only discover serious problems...