How To Check If A Car Is Stolen

Stolen cars. When buying second-hand, there’s always a chance the car you’re offered will have some dark history.

Buying a secretly stolen vehicle, masquerading as a genuine car, can come with a huge array of consequences. Thus, making an informed decision is pivotal – and we’ve outlined a few pointers. Hopefully, this will help you make the right choice for your new car.

How to Check if a Car Is Stolen

By now, you might be wondering: how can you tell if a vehicle is registered as stolen? Well, there are several ways that you can work to avoid buying a stolen car.

The most important step in this process is to run a car check. Car history checks allow you to quickly find out a wealth of information about a particular car. In addition to factors such as basic details and MOT results, these checks highlight whether the car is registered stolen. Arguably, this may be the simplest way to determine whether a vehicle is listed stolen.

In addition, try to take care when buying, and if you have any suspicions or concerns, steer clear. If the car seems oddly cheap, for example, this could be a good sign it’s stolen. Be sure to ask the seller for plenty of details about the car, too; make sure these align with the MOT history of the vehicle.

Consequences of Buying a Stolen Car

Issues associated with buying a stolen car can often have a significant impact on your day to day life. Just a few examples include:

• Legal complexities. Stealing a car is naturally illegal. Similarly, possessing a stolen car can have significant legal challenges. As such, you may face legal charges if it is suspected that you actually stole the car.
• Losing your new vehicle. If you purchase a stolen car, there is a huge risk you’ll lose your car. Indeed, the car was never the seller’s to sell; as such, once found, the car will likely be returned to the original owner. You usually won’t get compensation for this; as such, not only will you lose your new car, but you’ll also be left out of pocket.
• Reputational damage. Unfortunately, even if you have done nothing wrong, buying a second-hand car that’s stolen could cause huge reputational damage. In turn, this could leave you in a difficult position within your community and friends, having to prove your honesty.
• Supporting criminal activities. As a further point of note, buying stolen cars directly supports criminal activities. As such, avoiding stolen purchases is paramount.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been looking to get a new car, knowing what you’re buying is critical. After all, the potential consequences of choosing the wrong car could leave you thousands out of pocket. It’s not worth the risk; so, be sure to run a car checker before handing over any money to ensure your chosen vehicle’s genuine. It only takes a few moments, but it could save a huge amount of heartache!