Vehicle check when no plate on car

[metricspaces]

Hi folks. Just wondering how you do a vehicle check on a car when the original registration plate is not on the car. For example if someone traded a car into a garage and kept the registration plate as it was a personalised plate.

In this situation how can I as a buyer do a check on the car using one of the online systems.

 

[Liquidfusion-S3]

The garage should be aware of the replacement number plate, you should contact the garage and ask.

 

[metricspaces]

Thanks. I'll give them a shout.

But if the car is on a new plate will the online systems that do vehicle checks be able to check the mileage at all the previous MOTs?

 

[Liquidfusion-S3]

Yes it will, it will also tell you when the number plates were changed from original to private, and vice versa

Usually when the owner retains his private plate from DVLA, if the original is unused and still available they reassign it back to the car.

 

[Anthony566]

The V5 will have the original details... quite a few years back I purchased a car that was in the same position and the V5 had the number it was first registered with and you then used that to do the search with.

 

[metricspaces]

What if the car only had one owner and they transfered their private plate to the car when buying. Then there would be no original number?

I'm guessing I will just need to wait for the garage to get a new plate before I can use the online vehicle check websites.

 

[Liquidfusion-S3]

DVLA automatically assigns the car it's original plate or alternative if the owner decides to keep his number plate (I've did this just over a month ago).

The previous owner would of received a new V5 document with the new number plate on it.
He probably couldn't be bothered to fork out £12 to buy a set of new plates and attach them to the car before selling it.

The garage will definitely know the number plate as they would hold the V5 document for the car

 

[Anthony566]

What if the car only had one owner and they transfered their private plate to the car when buying. Then there would be no original number?

I'm guessing I will just need to wait for the garage to get a new plate before I can use the online vehicle check websites.

A always has a number .. just ask the garage that have the car they will have the details

 

[metricspaces]

Ah ok. Got you now, thanks. I'm from Ireland so not overly familiar with uk systems.

So if I'm understanding correctly the car will already have a new number. Because for the original owner to sell the car to the garage and keep his number for his new car he would have had to inform the DVLA. This would have resulted in the DVLA issuing a new number for the car that the original owner sold to the garage.


I was just looking at an advert online. So possibly the car was just traded into the garage over the last day or two and they are waiting for paperwork to go through so they can get the new number.

 

[Audi.Quattro]

As said, the owner gets the replacement V5 with the cars original reg, this ower then takes the V5 to the garage he PX'ed car too.

This took 4 weeks for me and Audi made sure I took that paperwork in because they holds a £500 deposit untill you do. A new tax disc and Mot with the corrected reg. also get issued, this can be sent direct to dealer, but not the V5

 

[metricspaces]

Does this mean it can take up to four weeks for a new registration number to be issued?

If it does mean this then how can I do a check on this car right now?

 

[Audi.Quattro]

DVLA site states, up to 6 weeks.

The dealer cannot sell the vehicle on until they get the paperwork, so I guess thats why they take £500? It ensures you do take the doc in.

 

[hades-]

just call the company your gona use and give them the private plate number if its already been changed at dvla then give them the other number will be on service book
or use the vin

 

[metricspaces]

The car check is done via the website. There's no option to enter VIN.

It's still not clear to me what the process is when a seller trades their car into a garage and keeps their reg , where the seller was the only owner of this vehicle.

If the car only has one owner there will be no previous registration number.


It sounds like the seller needs to send off a form to the DVLA. This can take up to 6 weeks to get processed. So it sounds like it could take the garage up to six weeks until the get a new registration number?

 

[Liquidfusion-S3]

It sounds like the seller needs to send off a form to the DVLA. This can take up to 6 weeks to get processed. So it sounds like it could take the garage up to six weeks until the get a new registration number?

That's exactly it, it's a waiting game for you now.

You still haven't called the garage to check yet?

 

[metricspaces]

That's exactly it, it's a waiting game for you now.

You still haven't called the garage to check yet?

Cheers. Going to call the garage today. But wanted to understand the situation first...in case they tried to spoof me to avoid me doing a car check

Is there any way I can do a car history check with VIN?

I understand I can check the VSO system for mileage if I have the following:

* The MOT test number (you can get this from the VT20 test certificate)
* The document reference number from the V5C registration certificate