How to compare vehicle records when the details do not agree

Use one row for one observation

For every source, note the source name, the date you accessed it, the event date it describes and the exact field you are comparing. A test date, registration date and invoice date mean different things. Keep a saved copy where appropriate so a later edit to an advert does not erase the description on which you originally relied.

Start with identity fields: registration, make, fuel type and VIN where legitimately available. GOV.UK recommends comparing the physical vehicle identification and engine numbers with the V5C. Seeing the same registration on a website and an advert is not enough to connect either to the physical vehicle. Ask to inspect the original log book at the viewing.

Compare mileage as a timeline, not a single number

List MOT mileage in date order and keep the units displayed by the source. Add dated service records separately. A lower later figure is a discrepancy to investigate, not by itself proof of deliberate clocking. A transcription error, unit difference or documented instrument change needs evidence before you adopt it as the explanation.

Ask the seller which record they believe is wrong and why. Request invoices or correction evidence rather than accepting “the system does that” as a complete answer. A later MOT pass does not necessarily resolve a mileage discrepancy. If a report provider has its own correction process, ask about it directly and keep the issue open until the explanation is adequately supported.

Check whether the records cover the same period

Official MOT coverage is not unlimited. For GB cars, motorcycles and vans the service provides results from 2005; Northern Ireland results begin in 2017. Imported vehicles and periods without UK test records may require other documentary evidence. An absence in one service cannot safely be turned into a claim about everything that happened before its coverage began.

Private-registration changes can also make invoices appear disconnected. Ask for a timeline of the plates used and compare VIN information where it is available. Do not infer that every source updates at the same speed. Where timing is offered as the explanation for a mismatch, ask the relevant service or provider how that particular field is maintained.

• Keep source date and event date in separate columns.
• Preserve mileage units exactly as displayed.
• Mark missing fields as unavailable, not clear.
• Write down the evidence supporting each proposed explanation.

Turn each mismatch into an actionable question

Instead of writing “history wrong”, ask “the advert lists diesel but the official entry lists petrol; which document explains the difference?” Specific questions are easier to answer and harder to wave away. Record the response, the supporting evidence and whether you still need an independent opinion. Do not assign a health score to a mixture of answered and unanswered questions.

Use the homepage worksheet to mark comparisons you have actually made and download a TXT copy. Its ticks mean that you performed an action, not that a vehicle passed a test. Nothing entered there is sent to DVLA or a commercial checking database. Before paying, review the unresolved items. If the vehicle’s identity, finance position or condition still cannot be established to your satisfaction, postpone the purchase rather than treating the act of completing a checklist as clearance.