What paperwork should a used car have?

The V5C logbook showing the seller as the registered keeper, an MOT certificate if the car is over three years old, and ideally a documented service history - receipts, a stamped book, or a digital record.

Is a free HPI-style check enough, or should I pay for one?

A free registration lookup shows official MOT and tax history, which is a genuinely useful first check. It won’t tell you about outstanding finance, a stolen marker, or a write-off record - for those you need a paid vehicle-history check.

What are the biggest red flags when buying a used car?

A seller who won’t let you inspect the car in daylight, a VIN that doesn’t match the V5C, mismatched paint or panel gaps suggesting crash repair, an engine warning light cleared just before viewing, and any pressure to pay a deposit before you’ve seen the car in person.

What to Check Before Buying a Used Car

Buying a used car privately means there's no dealer warranty and no cooling-off period once you've paid - what you check before handing over money is the only real protection you have. This is the checklist worth actually going through, not a generic list of "check the tyres."

The paperwork, first

Before looking at the car itself, check the documents match it:

The V5C logbook. The registration, make, model, colour, and VIN on the V5C must match the car in front of you exactly. The seller's name and address should be the current registered keeper - if it isn't, ask why, since a private seller who isn't the registered keeper is a genuine red flag, not just an inconvenience.
MOT history. Any car over three years old needs a valid MOT. Beyond just checking it's current, the full test history (free to look up by registration) shows advisories and past mileage readings - a pattern of the same advisory repeated test after test suggests something that's been ignored, not fixed.
Service history. Receipts, a stamped service book, or a digital record all count. No history at all isn't automatically disqualifying on an older, cheaper car, but it does mean you're buying on the car's current condition alone, with nothing to fall back on if something goes wrong soon after.

Checking the car itself

VIN plate. Confirm it matches the V5C and hasn't been tampered with - a plate that looks re-riveted, sits crookedly, or has digits that don't quite align is worth walking away over, not negotiating past.
Panel gaps and paint. Sight down each side of the car in good light - uneven gaps between panels, or a slightly different shade of paint on one panel, both point to accident repair even when the bodywork looks fine at a glance.
Tyres. Check the date code (a four-digit code on the sidewall, week and year of manufacture) as well as tread depth - a tyre with plenty of tread but that's eight years old has perished rubber, whatever the depth gauge says. Uneven wear across the tread can also point to an alignment or suspension problem.
Underbody and sills. Rust on the sills, subframe, or around suspension mounting points is a much bigger problem than surface rust on a wheel arch - it's worth a look underneath with a torch, not just a glance at the paintwork.
Cambelt or timing chain history. If the engine uses a cambelt, check when it was last replaced - it's an interval-based part that fails without warning, and a car approaching or past its due interval with no record of replacement is a real near-term cost, not a hypothetical one.
Warning lights and electrics. Start the car cold if possible, and check every warning light illuminates briefly then clears - one that stays on, or one that's suspiciously absent entirely (a bulb removed rather than the fault fixed), both matter.
Mileage versus condition. Worn pedal rubbers, a shiny worn driver's seat bolster, and general interior wear should roughly match the claimed mileage - a low reading on a visibly well-used interior is worth questioning directly.

Questions worth asking the seller directly

Why are you selling it?
Has it ever been in an accident or had bodywork repaired?
Is there any outstanding finance on it?
Has it always been kept on a driveway, or often parked on the street?
Do you have the original keys, and how many?

A seller who answers these quickly and consistently, with paperwork to back it up, is a much better sign than the price alone.

The last-mile check

A visual inspection can't tell you about outstanding finance, a stolen marker, or whether the car's been written off and repaired - those need a real records check, not a walk-around. Run the registration through RoadVerdict's free Buying Guide first for the MOT history, an estimated valuation, and an AI-written briefing, then add the full Independent Vehicle Check if anything above made you want the deeper certainty before you pay.

General buying guidance, not a substitute for a professional pre-purchase inspection - especially for anything safety-critical like brakes, tyres, or structural condition.