Printable used-car buying checklist
A viewing-day workflow for the VIN, documents, country records, mileage, recalls and independent inspection.
Buyer guides
Check the evidence before you buy
Start with the records available for the car’s country, then compare them with the vehicle and the seller’s documents.
A VIN decoder identifies a vehicle. It cannot, by itself, establish its mileage or accident history. These guides explain which evidence to look for and where the gaps remain.
Which guide do I need?
| Your situation | Guide to read | Official source it explains |
|---|---|---|
| The car is registered in the UK | Check UK MOT history | GOV.UK MOT history check (DVSA records) |
| The car is registered in the Netherlands | Check a Dutch car’s mileage | RDW odometer judgement and vehicle report |
| The car is registered in Czechia | Check Czech vehicle history | Ministry of Transport Kontrola tachometru portal |
| The car was imported from the US | Check a US-imported car in Europe | NMVTIS approved providers, NICB VINCheck and NHTSA recall lookup |
| The car is registered in Lithuania | Check a Lithuanian car | Regitra vehicle data search and the technical-inspection (TA) history |
| The car is registered in Poland | Check a Polish car | Historia Pojazdu on gov.pl |
| Any car: mileage history basics | How to check mileage history | Any register that gives dated readings; the guide covers comparing them |
| At the viewing: what to bring and ask | Printable used-car buying checklist | Official country links collected in the checklist |
| What a free VIN check shows | What a free VIN check can tell you | VIN decoding sources such as NHTSA vPIC |
All guides
What a free VIN check can tell you
Separate vehicle identification, available official records and checks that need another source.
How to check mileage history
Compare dated readings, units and gaps without treating missing records as a clean history.
Check UK MOT history
Use the registration number, inspect the test history and confirm the vehicle identity separately.
Check a Dutch car’s mileage
Understand the RDW odometer verdict and why an imported car may have no judgement.
Check Czech vehicle history
Understand inspection readings, source coverage and the limits of unit assumptions.
Check a US-imported car in Europe
Follow the US title, recall and theft-record checks, then investigate any later European mileage evidence.
Check a Lithuanian car
Use Regitra's vehicle data search and the technical-inspection history, and see what OdoTrace's Lithuanian fleet data adds.
Check a Polish car
Use the official Historia Pojazdu service with the plate, VIN and first-registration date from the seller's documents.
Before entering a VIN
Read OdoTrace’s source coverage to see which checks are available directly and which use an official external service. Results can be partial, unavailable or tied to a registration number rather than a VIN.
Buying or registering in Lithuania? Read the Lithuanian vehicle-history guide, then use the Lithuania registration tax calculator after checking which emissions figure and fuel category apply to the vehicle documents.
Start a vehicle check · Explore the 2023 mileage data · Read the methodology