Check a van before you buy it
Used vans work harder than cars, change hands between businesses, and are often bought on finance. Check the finance, write-off, theft and keeper history, then read every MOT and mileage reading before you hand over any money.
- MOT and mileage
- Freeevery test since new
- Full history check
- £7.49one-off, no subscription
- History data from
- finance, write-off, stolen, keepers
- Results
- Instanton any UK-registered van
What the van check covers
Every check pulls live data from three independent sources.
Write-off & Stolen
Cat A, B, S or N write-off status. Police National Computer stolen check.
Data provided byOutstanding Finance
HP, PCP or lease still owed. The lender can reclaim the van, even from a new buyer.
Data provided byPrevious Keepers
How many registered keepers, when it changed hands, and any plate changes.
Data provided byMileage Verification
Mileage at every MOT. Flags any reading that goes backwards or years with suspiciously few miles.
Full MOT History
Every pass, fail and advisory from DVSA records, including repeat advisories never fixed.
Vehicle Details & Tax
Make, model, engine, fuel, colour, first registration, ULEZ estimate and annual tax.
Six things that catch out used van buyers
A van’s working life leaves different marks from a car’s. Some show up in a history check. Others you only find by looking.
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Finance or a lease still on it Reveal for £7.49
Most new vans are bought on finance or contract hire. If a lease van is being sold, the seller may not own it at all. If finance is outstanding, the lender can still recover the van after you’ve paid for it.
Check: the finance result before paying a deposit. If it shows finance, get written confirmation from the lender that it has been settled.
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Mileage that doesn’t add up Reveal for £7.49
Work vans often cover far more miles a year than a typical car, which makes them a target for clocking. MOT records only begin at the first test, at three years old, so the van’s busiest years are often the least documented.
Check: the mileage at each MOT for any drop or flat year, then match the first MOT reading against service records from the first three years.
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One keeper, many drivers Reveal for £7.49
A fleet or hire van can show one or two registered keepers yet have had dozens of drivers. A low keeper count on a van isn’t the reassurance it would be on a car.
Check: keeper dates against the mileage. Ask the seller what the van was used for: multi-drop, trade, hire or private.
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Emissions kit on diesel vans Inspect on viewing
Stop-start delivery work is hard on diesel particulate filters, and most Euro 6 diesel vans also rely on an AdBlue system. Both are expensive to put right and both can put a van into reduced power.
Check: warning lights on a cold start and a proper drive at speed. Look for MOT advisories mentioning emissions or smoke.
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Wear from heavy loads Inspect on viewing
Vans that work near their payload wear clutches, dual-mass flywheels, rear springs, brakes and tyres faster. Repeated advisories for the same part tell you it was patched rather than fixed.
Check: for clutch judder pulling away, a sagging rear, and tyres carrying the load rating the van needs (often marked C for commercial).
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Damage behind the ply lining Inspect on viewing
Ply lining protects the load area but also hides dents, holes and rust. The same goes for the floor under rubber matting, sliding door runners and rear door hinges.
Check: lift the floor covering at a corner, look behind a side panel, and open and close every door several times.
The paperwork to match up
A history check tells you about the registration. These checks make sure the registration belongs to the van in front of you.
| Check | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| VIN matches | V5C, VIN plate in the door shut or engine bay, and the number visible at the base of the windscreen | A mismatch can mean a cloned or stolen van. Walk away. |
| Gross weight | Manufacturer’s plate, or the ministry plate if one is fitted | Decides your licence, MOT class and payload. Payload is the plated gross weight minus the van’s actual weight. |
| Body type | V5C | A camper or other conversion still listed as a panel van needs declaring to your insurer. |
| Euro standard | V5C or manufacturer’s certificate | Decides whether you pay in London’s ULEZ and other clean air zones. |
| Service records | Book, invoices, or the dealer’s or fleet operator’s records | Fills the mileage gap before the first MOT and shows whether servicing kept up with heavy use. |
Weight, licence and MOT class
Two vans that look the same can sit either side of a weight limit. Check the plated gross weight before you buy, not after.
| Plated gross weight | Car licence (category B)? | Annual test |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3,000kg | Yes | MOT class 4, from three years old |
| 3,001kg to 3,500kg | Yes | MOT class 7, from three years old |
| 3,501kg to 4,250kg, zero-emission | Yes, in Great Britain since 10 June 2025, no extra trainingElectric and hydrogen vans only | MOT class 7 |
| Over 3,500kg, petrol or diesel | No, you need C1Many people who passed before 1997 already have it | Goods vehicle annual test, not an MOT |
Sources: DVSA MOT inspection manual; GOV.UK driving licence rules. Check your own licence entitlements on GOV.UK before buying a heavier van.
Free check or full van check?
The free check is enough to read the MOT and mileage history. The full check adds the things that cost the most to find out after you’ve paid.
| What you find out | Free check | Full check £7.49 |
|---|---|---|
| MOT history and advisories | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage at every MOT | Yes | Yes |
| ULEZ and tax estimate | Yes | Yes |
| Outstanding finance | No | Yes |
| Write-off status | No | Yes |
| Stolen check | No | Yes |
| Keepers and plate changes | No | Yes |
Van checks by model
MOT failure patterns and what to inspect on the UK’s most common vans.
Check the van you’re buying
Start with the free MOT and mileage history. Add finance, write-off, stolen and keeper data from Experian for £7.49.
Van check questions
What does a van check show?
Whether the van has outstanding finance, has been written off, is recorded as stolen, and how many keepers and plate changes it has had, from Experian. It also shows every MOT result, advisory and mileage reading from DVSA, plus an estimate of ULEZ status and annual tax.
Can I check a van for free?
Yes. The free check shows the van’s full MOT history, advisories and mileage at every test. Finance, write-off, stolen and keeper history are in the full check, which costs £7.49.
Will a van check tell me if it was a fleet or hire van?
It shows how many registered keepers the van has had and when it changed hands, not who they were. A fleet or hire van often has only one or two keepers despite many drivers and high mileage, so treat a low keeper count with high mileage as a prompt to ask about its working life and service records.
What does +VAT mean on a van price?
Many commercial vehicles are advertised before VAT. If you’re not VAT registered you pay the advertised price plus 20%. A VAT-registered business buying a van for business use can usually reclaim it.
Is my van ULEZ compliant?
For London’s ULEZ, diesel vans need to meet Euro 6 and petrol vans Euro 4. Non-compliant vans up to 3.5 tonnes pay £12.50 a day. Our check gives an estimate from fuel type and registration date; confirm the exact van on TfL’s vehicle checker before you buy.
Can I drive a 3.5 tonne van on a car licence?
Yes. A category B licence covers vans up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass. Since 10 June 2025, category B holders in Great Britain can also drive zero-emission vans up to 4,250kg with no extra training. Petrol and diesel vans over 3,500kg need a C1 entitlement.
Can I check a camper van conversion?
Yes. The check runs on the registration, so it covers the base van’s finance, write-off, theft, keeper and MOT history. Also check the body type on the V5C: if it still says panel van, the conversion has not been registered, which matters for insurance.
Related
Finance, stolen, write-off and keeper history data provided by Experian. MOT and mileage data from DVSA. Vehicle details from DVLA. Licence, MOT class and ULEZ information checked against GOV.UK, DVSA and TfL guidance, October 2026.