Buying a used car
How to check a used car before you buy: a step-by-step checklist
A calm, practical order to work through when you view a used car, so nothing important gets missed on the forecourt.
Sam Whitfield 2 min read
Sam Whitfield
Motoring writer
Sam has written about buying and running used cars for over a decade, with a focus on turning official records into plain advice a buyer can actually use. He reads more MOT histories than anyone reasonably should.
Guides by Sam Whitfield
Understanding your report
What an MOT history actually tells you (and what it does not)
The MOT record is the most useful free history on a used car, if you know how to read it. Here is what to take from it, and what it cannot say.
Sam Whitfield 2 min read
Understanding your report
Cat S and Cat N write-offs explained
A written-off car is not always one to walk away from. Here is what Category S and Category N actually mean, and how to buy one sensibly.
Sam Whitfield 2 min read
Understanding your report
Pro-MOTe: why annual MOTs still matter in 2025
A campaign in 2011 kept Britain's yearly MOT when the government wanted to make it every two years. The reasons it won are still the reasons the test is worth reading today.
Sam Whitfield 3 min read
Understanding your report
MOT advisories: should you buy the car?
Almost every used car has advisories on its MOT. What matters is which ones, and whether the same one keeps coming back.
Sam Whitfield 4 min read
Understanding your report
How do I know if a car is taxed?
Checking whether a car is taxed takes seconds and matters more than it sounds, whether you are buying, selling or just keeping your own paperwork straight.
Sam Whitfield 3 min read