The expansion of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) led to three times as many daily charge payments in the week following its implementation. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request carried out by Total Car Check has confirmed that Transport for London (TfL) received 425,814 ULEZ payments between when the expansion went live on … Continue reading ULEZ payments triple after expansion →

You can sell a car even if you have outstanding finance. Thousands of people do it in the UK and it's easier than you think. So if you need some extra cash or are looking to move into a new car then we set out the steps for selling a financed car below. Understanding your … Continue reading How to sell a car with outstanding finance →

If you look at any news recently relating to electric cars the tone seems to be negative. Stories continue to be reeled out about how public chargers are unreliable and the fact there aren't enough of them. Then last week the Prime Minister announced that the Government's policy to ban the sale of new petrol … Continue reading Electric cars remain the future →

Now is still a very good time to sell your car. Used car prices are on average 25% higher than they were three years ago for equivalent vehicles, with huge demand for certain makes and models. We run through some useful online tools and the options you have to sell your car. Quick links below: … Continue reading How to sell your car →

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London is due to expand on 29th August out to the M25 orbital. But a recent court case brought by local councils has left the scheme hanging in the balance. We explain what is happening with ULEZ and how similar initiatives could be popping up in more places … Continue reading ULEZ and new clean air schemes →

At Total Car Check we have been working hard to provide free tools and insights that can help anyone find a great car for the right price. Below we explain the top 3 tools we provide for free that can help you research and find your next car safely. 1. Total Car Check's excellent rated … Continue reading Free tools to help you buy a great car →

Last week the Bank of England raised interest rates to 5% in response to prices rising by a further 8.7% in May. Many motorists relying on car finance may now be facing financial difficulties as their mortgage or rent payments increase. We explain why this action has been taken and outline the help lenders must … Continue reading Car finance debt – the support that lenders can offer →

The cost of car insurance premiums are set to rise by 14% in 2023 and prices will not stabilise until 2025. This is the assessment of consultancy firm Oxbow Partners in a new report they have just published. So what's behind this trend and how is car insurance priced in the first place? We explain … Continue reading Why are car insurance premiums on the rise? →

The road tax system in the UK has changed over the years and is set to do so again soon. We provide a full run down of how road tax works in the UK, the current rates and what is on the horizon. What is road tax? Road tax in the UK is formally known … Continue reading Road tax now and how it could change →

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released data showing that there were 25,000 more vehicles stolen in 2022 compared to 2021. We look at the tricks and tech thieves are using and provide some tips to prevent stolen vehicle buying. What does the data show? The ONS data shows that there was a 24.9% … Continue reading Why stolen vehicle checks are important →

With news last week that used electric car sales grew by 56.5% in the first 3 months of 2023, we assess whether now is the right time to replace your petrol or diesel with a battery electric car. Total Car Check is the only UK vehicle check provider that gives users up to 15 fields … Continue reading Is now the right time to buy an electric car? →

In the summer a new Consumer Duty will be introduced that will affect the way motor vehicles are sold. We cover what these new rules are below and what car buyers should expect from dealerships and lenders. What is the new Consumer Duty? It's new regulations that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced to … Continue reading New Consumer Duty and its impact on car buyers →

Outstanding finance is one of the biggest risks in today's car buying marketplace. We cover what it is, the problems it causes and explain what protection the law offers to consumers who buy a vehicle subject to outstanding finance. What is outstanding finance? Over 90% of new vehicle and 50% of used vehicle sales are … Continue reading Outstanding finance – a complete guide →

The Government has recently launched another round of measures to help transition the UK towards Net Zero. We look at what impact these will have on car buyers. Total Car Check is the only vehicle check provider to give you up to 15 fields of free electric vehicle (EV) data in our reports. Including range, … Continue reading Will new Net Zero plans help car buyers? →

This blog explains why checking a vehicle's mileage history before you buy is a must in the UK. Our FAQ below runs through all you need to know about mileage adjustment. Total Car Check now provides an enhanced MOT mileage check in all Silver and Gold checks. This returns records of any motor industry mileage … Continue reading Why checking a vehicle’s mileage is so important →

At Total Car Check we are always innovating to bring new helpful features and data to our users.    This is the way it has been since we disrupted the vehicle check market over 10 years ago.  Our customer first approach means that if we can provide something for free then we will.  That is one … Continue reading Celebrating a year of Total Car Check enhancements →

Car cloning is where the registration number of a car is copied or ‘cloned’ and applied to a stolen car to mask its true identity. It's a growing problem. That's why Total Car Check has recently launched a free tool that helps car buyers to identify cloned vehicles. We explain below. A growing problem In … Continue reading How to run a free check to help protect you from car cloning →

The London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is being expanded to cover the entire Greater London area on 29 August 2023. The move has been met with strong criticism from Londoners, home county residents and others commuting into the capital. But recent news suggests that Westminster could use powers to block the changes. We provide … Continue reading Will Government stop ULEZ expansion? →

The Government has recently launched a consultation asking for feedback on proposed changes to the annual MOT test. We provide some background about the MOT and look at what is being put forward. What is an MOT? The annual MOT test has been in place since the 1960s - named after the Government Ministry of … Continue reading Government considers changes to MOT →

With news out last week that UK car production in 2022 hit a 66 year low we look at how this is affecting the UK used car market and ultimately what it means for car buyers. What happened in 2022? UK The trade body for automotive manufacturers, SMMT announced that in 2022 775,014 cars were … Continue reading How is low car production affecting used car buyers? →

By the end of 2022 the Total Car Check app had been downloaded over 1 million times on Google Play. This milestone is also fast approaching on the App Store (over 850,000 downloads). Below we outline how the app can empower your car buying journey with insights that are too important to ignore. Our products … Continue reading How to use the Total Car Check app to check a vehicle →

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charging scheme will expand on 29 August 2023 to cover all of London. Below we run through what ULEZ is, how it is being expanded and who it will impact. You can check to see if your vehicle is ULEZ compliant by running a free check on the Total … Continue reading Expansion of ULEZ in 2023 →

Right now conditions are ripe in the UK for car criminals and fraudsters to prosper. Used cars remain pretty expensive and many of us have less money to spend on a new vehicle. Criminals prey on financial vulnerabilities. In this blog we look at a recent publicised example of a car scam and provide our … Continue reading Buy a car without falling victim to scammers →

News Release Total Car Check (TCC) has enhanced its vehicle history products by adding a suite of electric vehicle (EV) data to assist used EV buyers. The vehicle history check provider has added practical EV data fields to its free, silver and gold check reports.  The information can be found whenever a user enters the … Continue reading Total Car Check adds electric vehicle data to its free provenance reports →

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has announced in today’s Autumn Statement that electric car road tax (vehicle excise duty - VED) will be payable from April 2025. Total Car Check's free basic check provides current VED costs for vehicles. VED changes impacting on electric vehicles (EVs) The key electric car road tax measures and those impacting on … Continue reading Electric car road tax and company car tax payable from 2025 →

It's a simple but important message. Don't buy a vehicle with outstanding finance. We give you the low down on this important aspect of vehicle buying. Purchasing a Total Car Check provides an outstanding finance check and protects you with a £30,000 finance data guarantee. What is outstanding finance? Over 90% of new vehicles and … Continue reading Don’t buy a vehicle with outstanding finance →

If you need to stay mobile and save money during the cost of living crisis then what are your options? We consider these below based on whether you own, finance or lease a vehicle currently. We also set out alternative vehicle usage approaches that could help you save or make money. We cannot stress the … Continue reading Stay mobile and save money →

In this blog we provide a short run through of what is happening with used car prices. Our conclusion is that the UK used car market remains in good health currently. But what happens next is unpredictable... Remember: If you are looking to buy a used car then try using Total Car Check at all … Continue reading UK used car market healthy but unpredictable →

Lets face it, no-one likes a nasty surprise while they are behind the wheel. So make sure you get the lowdown on these new motoring laws and charges that every driver should be aware of. New clean air zones We wrote about clean air zones (CAZ) earlier this year. They are essentially local authority initiatives … Continue reading New motoring laws and charges drivers need to be aware of →

Total Car Check is always looking to introduce new data and tools for free to help assist vehicle buyers. Last year we provided over 41 million free checks covering over 11 million unique vehicles. We are therefore excited about the introduction of a powerful new tool we have added to our free check, available right … Continue reading Total Car Check launches powerful new tool as part of its free check →

Over the last few days you may have noticed that petrol and diesel prices have started to fall. The members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have in recent weeks increased oil production. This has sent the wholesale price of petrol down from £1 to 80p per litre. A Total Car Check … Continue reading UK fuel prices fall but higher prices are here to stay →

The cost of living crisis has provided an opportunity for criminals. Used car prices remain high and many of us looking to buy our next car have less disposable income. Cue the fake dealer or broker who lures those in need of a cheap motor, takes everything and then disappears. This is typical of the … Continue reading 5 must follow rules to protect you from fraud when buying a car →

One of the most important reasons for undertaking a Total Car Check is to ensure that the vehicle you are buying is not reported as being stolen. Unlike many of our competitors Total Car Check provides a free stolen check. Why? Because stolen cars are the reason we exist. So cloning and ringing of stolen … Continue reading What is car cloning and ringing? →

On 14 June 2022 the UK Government ended, "with immediate effect", grants worth £1,500 to subsidise electric cars. The funding will instead be "refocussed" towards improving the UK's charging infrastructure and on providing grants for other vehicle types. How did the plug-in car grant work? The grant was provided to motor retailers and manufacturers which … Continue reading The end of the plug-in car grant →

By 2030 there will be no new fully petrol or diesel cars or vans sold in the UK. This landmark commitment made by the Government in 2020 has helped to accelerate the shift towards the use of electric vehicles (EVs). 22% of all new car registrations to date this year were EVs and there are … Continue reading Are you ready to go electric? →

WLTP stands for the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Testing Procedure. It is a global standard for testing the fuel economy and emission levels of vehicles. It was introduced in 2017 and extended to all cars and vans from September 2019. Why was it introduced? Since the early 1990s a New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test … Continue reading What is WLTP and why does it matter? →

In these difficult and costly times everyone is looking for ways to save money to weather the current cost of living storm. At Total Car Check we know the risks and costs associated with buying a used car. But on top of the initial purchase UK motorists spend on average £3,500 a year running their … Continue reading Top 5 car money saving tips →

For a few years now a new approach has beckoned that is set to change the way vehicles are sold. It is called 'the agency model' and could mean that soon if you buy, finance or lease a new car the experience could be quite different. In fact some manufacturers have already moved into agency … Continue reading The agency model – how will it affect car buyers? →

If you've bought a car from a dealership in recent years you would have no doubt been given the option to purchase it using finance and probably would have been sold the odd insurance add-on product too. Both finance and insurance (F&I as it's known in the trade) give dealers additional income on top of … Continue reading What should you expect when being sold finance and insurance by car dealers? →

There aren't too many people that get excited by new rules and regulation. But when they provide helpful protections and raise standards for consumers they are so very important. Cue the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA's) new Consumer Duty which is due to come into force in July 2022. What is the new Consumer Duty? It's … Continue reading FCA’s new Consumer Duty to raise standards for car buyers →

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has reported that new car registrations in the UK fell by 14.3% to 243,479 in March on last year. Whilst the fall is largely attributed to the lack of new car supply there are also concerns that the current cost of living crisis may be leading many … Continue reading New car sales fall by 14% – how will this impact used car sales? →

In 2021 a quarter of all new vehicles sold in the UK were fully electric, compared to just 2% in 2020. The transition from petrol and diesel to electric is happening at pace. This is necessary because by 2030 all new cars and vans sold must not emit any carbon dioxide at the tailpipe. Barriers … Continue reading Government launches electric vehicle infrastructure strategy →

Test driving is a really important process for any car buyer.  It’s the only way of checking if a car runs and performs as it should and gives you the driving experience you are looking for. But even though a test drive may only last for 15 minutes it is very important that you are insured … Continue reading Why you need to be insured to test drive →

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak unveiled his Spring Statement in the House of Commons today. We summarise below the key measures that have been announced that impact on motorists: Fuel duty cut by 5p per litre The change takes place from 6pm tonight (23 March) and will remain until March 2023. The Government … Continue reading How does the 2022 Spring Statement affect motorists? →

On 23 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak will give what is arguably the most difficult budget statement for many years that the Government has had to make. The dilemma for the Chancellor - how can Government pay for the £300bn+ it has borrowed so far to tackle Covid-19 given the current cost … Continue reading Spring Budget 2022 – will Government throw a lifeline to motorists? →

There are lots of transactions that need to be set up when buying a vehicle and keeping it on the road. These provide opportunities for fraudsters to scam drivers out of their money. Total Car Check covers five current scams prevalent in March 2022 that car buyers and motorists should be vigilant of: Vehicle tax … Continue reading Motoring scams – March 2022 →

The car market is a difficult one for anyone to navigate these days. Many people that are either nearing the end of their current car finance or lease agreement - or who have run their motor into the ground - are finding it troublesome to understand which fuel type, make and model to go for … Continue reading Navigating the current car market for buyers →

The Motor Ombudsman (TMO), an ADR provider in the motor retail space, has urged car buyers to choose the dealership they buy from carefully. The warning has been timed to coincide with the new March plate which usually leads to an increase in both new and used vehicle orders. ADR stands for Alternative Dispute Resolution, … Continue reading ADR – what is it and why is it important? →

It is fair to say that surveillance is big in the UK. We have one of the world's highest concentration of CCTV cameras. There are over 5.2 million used by consumers, businesses and public authorities - compared to just over one million in France, a country 2.3 times bigger than the UK. There are also … Continue reading ICO publishes video surveillance guidance as CCTV usage continues to grow →

Clocking, the informal term for rolling back the mileage on a vehicle's odometer. In the UK adjusting a vehicle's mileage itself is not a crime, but selling a vehicle with adjusted mileage is. If you purchase a clocked car then at best it will be worth much less than what you paid for it, and … Continue reading Will modernising vehicle standards prevent clocking? →

The European Commission (EC) has published proposals for a new European Data Act which aims to ensure that a wider range of stakeholders can be granted access to product usage data in order to foster competition and innovation. The legislation will also give more control to consumers to determine how data generated by their usage … Continue reading EU proposes new measures on the sharing of product usage data →

As buyers look to purchase 2022 plate vehicles over the next few weeks an influx of used cars will come to market. Although this often provides a great opportunity to get hold of good quality stock buyers are being warned to be vigilant of the common scams in operation that could be used to defraud … Continue reading Car buyers warned of scams ahead of plate change →

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has acted to provide consumers with some much needed love and protection on Valentine's day. If you've been into a dealership recently and used Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy or Openbuy to pay for vehicle add-on products like extended warranties, GAP insurance and alike you could receive some money back. In fact, … Continue reading Bought vehicle add-ons using BNPL recently? You could be in luck →