Car valuation

Free Car Valuation

Find out what your car could be worth. Enter a UK registration for a free VehicleScore, and an estimated value when we hold similar cars.

5,000,000+ vehicle checks generated in the last 12 months

  • Estimated value
  • Similar cars
  • VehicleScore
  • Free check
  • Free to check
  • No account needed
  • UK registrations
  • Estimated valueWhen similar cars are on record
  • Not an offerNo guaranteed purchase price
  • VehicleScoreMOT, tax and mileage too
  • FreeEnter a registration

How much is my car worth?

A used car does not have a single price. A private buyer, a dealer taking a part exchange, and a car-buying service are not trying to pay the same amount. Age, mileage, condition and what similar cars are selling for all move the figure.

VehicleScore does not make a purchase offer. Enter the registration and you open the free report for that vehicle. Where we already hold valuations for similar cars (the same make and model, close in year and mileage), that report adds an estimate:

  • An estimated market value, as a range when the figures differ
  • Typical private sale, part exchange, dealer retail, auction and trade figures, where we hold them
  • The original list price, when we hold it
  • A confidence label (low, medium or high) based on how many similar cars we found, how close the mileage is, and how recent those figures are

The estimate is the median of valuations stored from Hidden History reports on similar vehicles. It is not a dealer standing in front of the car, and it does not see dents, missing service stamps or a modified engine. If the sample is too thin, the valuation card is left off. We do not fill the gap with a made-up price.

A paid Hidden History Check can also include an eight-point market valuation on that individual report, alongside finance, write-off, stolen and salvage records when the provider returns them.

What affects the value of my car?

The registration estimate is a starting point. These are the things that usually move a real offer up or down.

  • Make, model and demand. A common, wanted car is easier to sell than a rare one with a small audience. Specification and trim matter too. A spec check shows equipment we hold for that vehicle.
  • Age and mileage. More miles usually mean a lower price. The free report plots the mileage recorded at each MOT. See the mileage check if that is the only question.
  • Condition. Panel gaps, interior wear, warning lights and unrepaired damage are not in an online estimate. They show up when a buyer looks at the car.
  • Service history. Invoices and a dealer service record support a higher price. A service history check is a separate product from the free valuation.
  • MOT history. A current pass is one test. Repeated advisories or a gap in the record gives a buyer a reason to offer less. The free report includes that MOT history. There is also a dedicated MOT check.
  • Write-off, salvage or outstanding finance. A recorded write-off usually lowers what the next buyer will pay, and finance normally has to be cleared before a sale completes. Those records sit in Hidden History, not on the free valuation. See the write-off check, salvage check and finance check.
  • Previous keepers and fuel type. Keeper count, when a history report includes it, and whether the car is petrol, diesel or electric, both change who will buy it and what they will pay.

How our free car valuation works

  1. Enter the registration. A UK number plate is enough. You do not need the logbook.
  2. We open the free VehicleScore. That includes the score, MOT status and history, tax or SORN, mileage and the vehicle details we hold. An estimated value is added when similar cars are on record.
  3. Read what is actually there. Use the figures as context, not as a promise. A history check is optional if you also need finance, stolen, write-off or salvage records.

What else can I check?

Value makes more sense next to the rest of the car. From the same registration you can also look at:

How to get the best price for your car

Know a rough value before you advertise or part-exchange. It stops you pricing from a guess, and it gives you something to compare an offer against. Then decide what you are optimising for. The route that pays the most is rarely the one that takes the least time.

  • Private sale. Often the highest price, because you are selling to the person who will use the car. You handle the advert, the viewings, the test drives and the payment. It takes longer, and you deal with no-shows.
  • Part exchange. Convenient if you are buying another car from the same dealer. The figure is usually lower than a private sale. It can still be the better deal once you count the time and the car you are buying.
  • Dealer or car-buying service. Faster, and someone collects. You are paying for that convenience in the price. Get more than one quote if you can. An online quote can change once they see the car.
  • Auction. Useful for trade sellers, cars that are hard to advertise, or when you want a sale on a set day. Fees and a weak day in the hall can leave you below a private advert.

Whichever route you use, the preparation is the same:

  • Clean the car, including the boot and the engine bay if you can.
  • Gather service invoices, the V5C, spare keys and any MOT paperwork.
  • Know the MOT position. A test due next week is a reason for a buyer to chip the price.
  • Describe faults honestly. A surprise on a test drive costs the sale.
  • Take photos in daylight, of every side, the interior, the wheels and the boot.
  • Write the advert from the car in front of you: mileage, owners, service history, and what does not work.

If you want a buying service to quote after you have seen the estimate, the sell your car page is separate from this valuation.

Buying rather than selling?

The same lookup works on a car you are thinking of buying. An asking price on its own does not tell you whether it is reasonable. The free report puts a VehicleScore, the MOT record and, when we hold similar cars, an estimated value next to that advert.

Treat a big gap between the asking price and the estimate as a question, not a verdict. The car might be a higher spec, freshly serviced, or priced for a quick sale. It might also be hiding damage or a short MOT. Read the history before you agree a number.

Check a registration

Enter a UK registration to open the free VehicleScore and, where we hold similar cars, an estimated value.

Hear from people like you

Recent reviews from people who checked a car before they bought.

  • Simple, informative, easy to navigate and gives confidence in the decision making process.

    Keith

    Verified Customer

  • Brilliant, easy to use, will use VehicleScore for all my car purchases in the future.

    Peter

    Verified Customer

  • Very helpful and a necessary part of buying a car privately. Two cars showed up faults — one was a cat S, the other had finance outstanding. This third one is totally clear. Thank you for the service.

    Michael

    Verified Customer

Frequently Asked Questions

Enter the registration on this page. You get a free VehicleScore for that car. Where we hold valuations for similar vehicles, the same report shows an estimated market value and typical figures for private sale, part exchange, dealer retail, auction and trade.

That estimate is not a price a buyer has agreed to pay.

Yes. The registration lookup, the VehicleScore, and the estimated value (when we have similar cars on record) are free. You do not need an account.

A Hidden History Check is a separate paid report. It can include an eight-point valuation for that individual vehicle, plus finance, write-off, stolen and salvage records.

Yes. A UK registration is enough to open the free report. You do not need the V5C.

The estimate still depends on us holding similar cars. If the sample is too thin, the valuation card is left off rather than filled in with a guess.

Make and model, age, mileage, condition, specification, fuel type, service history, MOT history, previous damage or a write-off, the number of previous keepers, and what buyers are paying for that car at the moment.

Two examples of the same model can still be worth different amounts once someone sees the car.

Usually, yes. Higher mileage tends to mean a lower price, because more of the car has been used. Condition and a documented service history can still separate two cars with similar miles.

The free report plots MOT mileage. A later reading that is lower than an earlier one is a discrepancy to ask about, not proof the odometer was altered.

It usually does. Buyers and insurers treat a recorded write-off as extra risk, so the price is often lower than a similar car with a clean record.

Write-off category is not on the free valuation. It is part of the paid Hidden History Check, when a record exists.

A current pass is only the latest test. Repeated advisories, recent failures, or a missing stretch of tests give a buyer a reason to offer less, or to walk away.

The free report includes MOT status, earlier tests and the mileage recorded at each one.

There is no fixed interval. Prices move when similar cars sell for more or less, and when the car itself picks up miles, damage, or a failed MOT.

The estimate on VehicleScore uses the valuations we already hold for similar cars. It is not refreshed as a live dealer bid.

No. The figure on VehicleScore is an estimate from similar cars. A dealer, car-buying service or private buyer can offer more or less after they see the vehicle.

Any offer you accept elsewhere is between you and that buyer. VehicleScore does not buy the car.

Yes. Use the same registration lookup on a car you are thinking of buying. The estimate is context for the asking price. Pair it with the MOT record, and with a history check if you need finance, write-off or stolen records before you pay.