Can You Get an HPI Check for Free? What Is Free, and What Never Is
No. The full HPI check is a paid product, £19.99 on HPI's own site, and no legitimate service gives away outstanding finance, write-off or stolen records. What is free is the government data: tax and MOT status from DVLA, and the MOT history with the mileage at each test. That rules out a lot of cars. For the three records that are never free, the cheapest full check we found on 28 October 2026 cost £9.99.
Disclosure: hpi check is a Solera product. Caraxle sells a competing check, and our price appears in the comparison below alongside the others, checked on 28 October 2026.
Search for a free version of the HPI check and you will find plenty of sites that seem to offer one. None of them gives you the full check for nothing. What some of them give you is the government data that is free anyway, with the parts you actually came for behind a price. Here is where that line falls, and how little it costs to cross it.
Why is there no free version of the full check?
Because the three records that matter most are not in the free government services. Outstanding finance, write-off history and stolen markers are what Citizens Advice says a private history check is for, and it puts the cost of one at up to £20 [2]. HPI's own full check is £19.99, and its £9.99 Basic Check leaves out mileage discrepancies and write-off details [1]. Neither is free.
The government services are free, and they are genuinely useful, but they answer different questions. The DVLA checker tells you what the car is and whether it is taxed [3]. The MOT history tells you how it did at each test and what the mileage was [4]. Neither will tell you whether a lender still owns it.
What does a free car check site actually give you?
Often the free government data, presented nicely, and a summary of what the paid report would show. That is a fair service if it is described honestly. The UK advertising code is clear about the word: a product must not be described as free if you have to pay anything beyond the unavoidable cost of responding or delivery, and the commitment needed to get a free offer has to be made clear [5]. If the free part turns out to be the registration details you typed in, and the finance check costs money, that is a paid check with a free preview.
Which records are free, and which never are?
Free from GOV.UK
- Tax and SORN status, and when the tax runs out [3]
- MOT expiry date and first registration date [3]
- Date the last V5C log book was issued [3]
- Year of manufacture, engine size, fuel type and emissions [3]
- Every MOT result since 2005, with the mileage at each test [4]
Only in a paid check
- Outstanding finance, which decides whether the car is the seller's to sell [2]
- Write-off history and category [2]
- Stolen markers [2]
- How many keepers the car has had, which DVLA gives out only on a written request [3]
Run the free checks first on every car on your list. The MOT history alone catches a lot: a mileage reading that goes down between tests is the clearest sign of clocking there is. Our free car check guide shows how to read each free service, and our MOT history page explains the advisories.
What does the paid part cost?
Less than HPI's headline price suggests. We compared single checks that include all four core records, finance, write-off, stolen and mileage, at four providers on 28 October 2026:
One check with finance, write-off, stolen and mileage, in pounds
MotorCheck and Total Car Check Gold both include all four for £9.99 [6] [7]. Total Car Check Gold also carries a £30,000 guarantee [7], the same amount HPI attaches to its £19.99 full check [1]. If you are checking several cars, the bundles cut the price further: both offer five checks for £19.99 [6] [7]. And if your only question is whether a car was written off, Total Car Check's Silver check does that alone for £3.99 [7].
Where does Caraxle fit?
The Caraxle Full Check costs £12.99 and includes finance, write-off, stolen and mileage alongside the MOT and DVLA data. On a single check that is £7 less than HPI's full check and £3 more than the two cheapest we found. We do not sell bundles, so on a five car shortlist the multi packs above are cheaper per car.
The Caraxle £4.99 MOT Check is a different product: MOT history, tax status, mileage and specification in one report, without finance, write-off or stolen records. Much of that is free on GOV.UK if you are happy to read it there. Our HPI check guide covers what HPI's own check adds, including its guarantee, and our HPI check alternative comparison sets each tier side by side.
The short version
No one gives the full HPI check away, and a site that seems to is selling something else. Use the free GOV.UK checks on every car, because they cost nothing and catch wrong details and clocking. Then pay for finance, write-off and stolen records on the car you are serious about. On 28 October 2026 that started at £9.99 for a single check [6] [7], and our car history check guide explains where each of those records comes from.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get an HPI check without paying?
- No. HPI sells its full check for £19.99 and its Basic Check for £9.99, and neither is free. Sites that promise one for nothing usually show free government data and charge for the finance, write-off and stolen records.
- Can I check for outstanding finance for free?
- Not through any official free service. Finance agreements are not part of the DVLA or MOT data. You need a paid history check, and the cheapest single one including finance that we found on 28 October 2026 cost £9.99.
- What can I check about a car for free?
- Tax and SORN status, MOT expiry, first registration date and basic specification from DVLA, and the full MOT history with the mileage at each test from GOV.UK. Together they catch wrong details, gaps in MOTs and many cases of clocking.
- Is a cheaper check as good as HPI?
- On the four core records, finance, write-off, stolen and mileage, the £9.99 checks we found include all four. HPI's own £9.99 tier leaves out write-off details and mileage. Compare tier against tier, not brand against brand.
- Why do free car check sites ask for payment?
- Because the records buyers care about most are not free to them either. Under the advertising code, a product described as free must not cost anything beyond the unavoidable cost of responding or delivery, so check what you are actually getting before you pay.
References
- [1]hpi check (Solera) · 2026-10hpi check lists its full check at £19.99 and a Basic Check at £9.99 that excludes mileage discrepancies and write-off details and carries no guarantee; the full check carries a £30,000 guaranteehttps://www.home.hpicheck.com/
- [2]Citizens Advice, Buying a used car · 2026-10Buyers can use the free DVLA vehicle checker and the free GOV.UK MOT history; a private history check costs up to £20 and tells you whether the car has been reported stolen, whether money is still owed on it, whether it has been in a serious accident, whether the mileage is correct and whether it was written off and returned to the roadhttps://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/buying-a-used-car/
- [3]GOV.UK, Get vehicle information from DVLA · 2026-10The free DVLA service returns tax and SORN status, MOT expiry, first registration date, last V5C issue date, year of manufacture, engine size, fuel type and emissions; keeper information must be requested from DVLA in writinghttps://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla
- [4]GOV.UK, Check the MOT history of a vehicle · 2026-10The free MOT history shows pass or fail, the mileage recorded at each test and when the next MOT is due; results for cars are available for tests since 2005https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
- [5]ASA, CAP Code rules 3.23 and 3.24 · 2026-10Marketing must not describe a product as free if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding and collecting or paying for delivery, and must make clear the extent of the commitment needed to take advantage of a free offerhttps://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html
- [6]MotorCheck, Pricing · 2026-10MotorCheck sells a single check for £9.99 including finance, write-off, mileage and stolen vehicle checks, three for £14.99 and five for £19.99https://www.motorcheck.co.uk/pricing/
- [7]Total Car Check, Prices · 2026-10Total Car Check Gold costs £9.99, three for £14.99 or five for £19.99, and includes outstanding finance, written off, salvage history, stolen, plate changes and previous keepers with a £30,000 guarantee; the Silver write-off only check costs £3.99https://www.totalcarcheck.co.uk/Prices
