Buying a used car in Northern Ireland is much like buying one anywhere in the UK, with a few local differences: the plates, the way MOTs are done, and the number of cars that come over the border. Here are the checks to do before you hand over any money.
1. Check the registration
Northern Ireland vehicles are on the same UK register as cars in Great Britain: the DVLA has held their records since 2014. A car history check for Northern Ireland works with an NI reg in the same way. Start with the free check: the make, model, colour, fuel type and engine size should all match the car in front of you. If the colour or engine is different, ask why.
2. Look at the MOT history
In Northern Ireland, MOT tests are done by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) at its own test centres. Results of tests done in Northern Ireland since December 2017 are on GOV.UK's Check MOT history service. Read the history for:
- mileage that goes down between tests, or a big gap with no tests;
- advisories that come back year after year, such as corrosion or worn suspension;
- failures that were never followed by a pass.
If the car spent time in Great Britain, its GB MOTs are in our free check too, with the mileage at each test.
3. Cars from the Republic of Ireland
Plenty of used cars cross the border. A car first registered in the Republic shows up as imported, and its history there isn't on UK records. Ask the seller for the car's history in the Republic, and be extra careful about the mileage.
4. Outstanding finance
A car bought on hire purchase or PCP belongs to the lender until the agreement is paid off. If you buy it with finance still owing, the lender can take it back. The full car history check shows any finance agreement recorded against the car. If there is one, don't pay until the seller has settled it and you have proof from the lender.
5. Write-offs, stolen markers and cloned cars
The full report shows insurance write-offs (Cat S, N, C and D), police stolen markers and salvage auction records. Then check the car itself: the VIN at the base of the windscreen and in the door frame should match the V5C log book and the report. A mismatch can mean a cloned car.
6. Private plates
Dateless NI-style plates, three letters and up to four numbers with an I or a Z, are popular private plates on cars in Great Britain too. An NI plate on a car doesn't prove it was registered in Northern Ireland. The plate change history shows the registrations a car has had.
Before you pay
Run the checks, see the car in daylight, take a test drive and pay by a traceable method, never cash in full. A full report costs less than a tank of fuel and can save you from a car you would lose. See what one looks like in our sample car history report.