A cloned car is a stolen vehicle given the identity of a legitimate one. Criminals find a car of the same make, model and colour that is legally on the road, copy its number plates and sometimes its VIN plates, and fit them to the stolen car. A quick check of the registration then shows a clean, genuine vehicle, because the registration belongs to one.
Why cloning is a problem for buyers
If you buy a cloned car, the police can take it back and return it to its real owner or insurer. You lose the car and the money you paid, and your own insurance won't cover it. The owner of the genuine car suffers too, receiving speeding fines, parking tickets and congestion charges for journeys they never made.
Warning signs when buying
- The price is too good. Cloned cars are often advertised well below similar cars to sell fast.
- No V5C, or excuses about it. “It's in the post” or “I'm selling it for a friend” are common lines.
- Meeting away from home. The seller wants to meet in a car park or at a service station rather than at the address on the V5C.
- Mismatched VINs. The VIN on the windscreen, door pillar and body don't match each other or the V5C.
- Details that don't match the record. The colour, engine size or trim is different from the vehicle record for that registration.
- Number plates without a supplier. UK number plates should show the name and postcode of the business that made them.
- Missing or new keys. Only one key, or keys that look newly cut.
How a VIN check protects you
Cloners can copy a number plate in minutes, but changing every VIN on a car convincingly is much harder. That is why checking the VIN is so effective:
- Compare the VINs on the car. Our guide on where to find the VIN shows where to look.
- Match them with the V5C and check the V5C is genuine.
- Check the vehicle record. A free check shows the make, model, colour, engine size and first registration date on record for the registration. If the car in front of you is different, stop.
- Check the history. A full report shows police stolen markers from the Police National Computer, number plate changes, colour changes and the high-risk register, and it shows the last digits of the VIN on record so you can compare them with the car.
You can start from either end: search by registration, or choose VIN / Chassis No. on our search box to find the vehicle from its VIN. See the stolen car check page for what the police check covers.
What to do if you suspect a clone
- Don't confront the seller and don't pay anything. Make an excuse and leave.
- Report it to the police on 101, with the advert, the registration and anything you noted.
- If you have already bought a car and now suspect it is cloned, contact the police straight away and keep all your paperwork and payment records.
If your own car has been cloned
If fines arrive for places you have never been, your registration may have been cloned. Report it to the police, write to the organisation that issued each fine with evidence of where your car was, and tell DVLA. Keep copies of everything.
Key points
- Cloned cars carry a genuine registration, so a plate alone is not proof of identity.
- Always compare the VINs on the car with the V5C and the vehicle record.
- A full history report adds the police stolen marker, plate and colour changes and more.
A cloned car is often a stolen car wearing another car's identity, so a vehicle stolen check belongs alongside the VIN check. If you want to find out if a car is stolen, our stolen car check shows whether a police stolen marker is recorded against the vehicle.