Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:25 pm

Still looking for a car. Rang about a three year old car, 70k km.

Dealer in Malaga with premises but no website.

One owner but no service history. ( not ideal)

Is there a way from vin or matriculation plate to look at simple things online like itv mileage (km). ?

I suspect a friendly main dealer , if they thought business was coming their way, would be able to look at what main dealer servicing the car had had regardless of dealer or even country for that matter within EU. Anyone done that? Is there a cat c accident register or similar?

User avatar
knowal
Resident
Posts: 1911
Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2010 9:35 pm
Location: England

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby knowal » Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:53 pm

Surely a 3 years old car won't have an ITV mileage recorded. Most cars do not have their first test until their 4th "birthday". I know that dual purpose vehicles and commercials are different, but ordinary cars are 4 years.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:30 pm

mmm, if I knew that I had forgotten. :oops:

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:11 pm

You can get an "informe" for a car if you have the reg number & VIN from Tráfico, I think it costs €8,60
This will show who the vehicle is registered to, the latest ITV result (but only if it's over 4 years old, as stated by White Horse!) and also if there are any charges or hindrances against the vehicle.
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites-y-m ... -vehiculo/
If the previous owner was Spanish, you can assume it's a Cat C :lol:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5754
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby costakid » Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:55 am

Why would it be a Cat C if the owner was Spanish. I don’t think they acually cat the write offs here.

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:53 am

I was being facetious.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:22 pm

Just had a look at the car. Saw enough to put me off. Parts resprayed. Damage to exterior door trim from prising off. Screen very pitted, plenty of reasons why it is the same price as a year older car with double the mileage.

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:25 pm

I rest my case!
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

User avatar
Flexo
Resident
Posts: 442
Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 10:14 am
Location: Cordoba province

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Flexo » Wed Oct 25, 2017 7:01 pm

Carfax works in Spain I think.

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:20 am

EDIT: :oops: I think it's a case of "move along people, nothing to see here..." It looks like "Ejemplo Informe" is what I first thought, after all. A random. :oops:
By extraordinary and embarrassing coincidence, the car plate I typed in belonged to a 2006 Seat Ibiza 1.4Tdi. I was well chuffed with the result... until I tried a plate from a Saxo and got the same blurb. Oh dear, apols for posting. Mama told me you don't get much for free :oops: ad nauseum
Flexo wrote:Carfax works in Spain I think.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thanks for mentioning this! I've used MOT History and Cazana for UK reg cars, but this beats the heck out of them for ES reg cars - and for freebies. Basically, I Bing'd (other search engines are also etc) "Carfax Gratis". I entered the plate # of the car I was interested in. Now "Buscar" rather disappointingly told me it was a Seat. Well, thanks... but I tried again and instead clicked "Ejemplo Informe" to the left (in green). Up came a detailed form with an e-watermark. At first, I thought it was a random example - but no.

The make, engine, output, CO2 - all the stuff I knew - was dead on. Then came all sorts of useful info. Previous keepers, where they registered and when, private or professionals, on finance or paid in full, date it was stolen, date declared not stolen, date it was seized, 2 recorded services + what was carried out + when + by whom. All without coughing up a sov. Probably worth paying up for a full report before buying but, if you happen to see a Se Vende and feel it's worth a quick background - terrific resource.

Of course, it's in Spanish + you can't (well, I couldn't) c+p into Translate but it's all short phrases so you can hand-type anything not in your vocab. :D

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:40 pm

I wonder if it's just me who read your post back to front? Utterly confused. I've just spent half an hour trying to figure out how you managed to get a free "informe", until finally realising that your "edit" at the beginning of the post is in fact an addendum and should have been added after the original post (which obviously I hadn't seen before the edit was added) Only by typing right to left could you have confused me any more! :crazy:

Anyway, as they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Tue Nov 07, 2017 5:18 pm

Ah, I failed again. I excitedly posted up "this is great (which it probably is, TBF) and FREE :!: " Once I realized it was a coincidence, I wanted to save people wasted time and I thought the edit first, rather than chronologically, would help. But it didn't. Sorry about that.

HST (and I'm not trying to big up Carfax) I can see its use when trawling through the ads (if the plates are visible).

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Sat Nov 11, 2017 10:46 pm

It turns out to be a free appetizer, but not the full 3 courses: I've seen paperwork for the Seat, and it matches the Carfax Ejemplo Informe for the same vehicle. So, for one car, I got useful free info but if you try again with other reg plates it sticks with the first plate you entered. Closing the window and starting again makes no difference; maybe a change of browser or using my VPN would fool it. Seeing as €25 block-books 10 car checks, I'll happily pay up to narrow my choices down and save wasted time. Seems more informative and better value than HPI does in the UK, IMHO.

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:49 am

Are you sure? If the actual chassis number matches as well, that's an amazing bit of luck - but I still think you've just hit upon a surprising coincidence. I've tried on different devices and for different cars - but all I get is an example for a 2006 Seat Ibiza 1.4 Tdi
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:40 pm

No, I didn't check the chassis numbers, sorry - the ejemplo was uploaded on my PC in Spain and I was looking at the pics of the actual car's docs on my PC in UK, where I am now. I'll check side by side here later. If you're getting that example whatever plate you put in, it must be a coincidence but - in my defence - the province of first ownership and matriculation was also the same. I doubt if it's an elaborate fraud, using data available from the web. The car's selling for < £1000. Spooky, though (attempts to embed "Outer Limits" tune).

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:00 am

tried it in the UK and you're right Miro. VIN (and some other things) don't match. The Barcelona matriculation was just yet another coincidence. If I do use it soon (and I probably will) by paying up, I'll post here whether I found it useful and worth the money.

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Thu Nov 30, 2017 7:18 pm

Have been back in the Costa for a coupla weeks, built up enough MilAnuncios possibles, so I splashed €25 on a Carfax check-ten pack. Seemed like a no-brainer, working out at 2.5 squid to check each car. I've run through two so far.

I'd say I'm underwhelmed - certainly not as encompassing-looking as the "ejemplo" for the Seat Ibiza. The first, a 2006 Focus, ticked across as not stolen, written off, previously a taxi, imported or modified chassis. Also "kilometre issues not reported" although they don't seem to have much to go on anyway. Scarce and missing ITV data that only implied the km claim could be OK. Still, some rapid ownership changes and a mysterious "temporarily removed from Spain" just when listed has put me off so that's a result, overall. The 2nd, a 2004 Clio, had the same ticks, ownership changes and just a couple of kms at ITV time to work with. No details of work done (unlike the ejemplo, and this car is supposed to have maintenance history). For the age of the car, pretty thin info to make much with.

The rest is a load of tech data that anyone can look up. So (far), you get some reassurance on real red flags but not a lot else. The free info from Carzana and the MOT .gov site for UK cars is more illuminating. If, like me, you've got a small pile of contenders and want to rule out the whiffier ones then the €25 saves time and fuel but if I'd spent proportionately a lot more for one check I'd have been not much wiser unless it was a Belgian bonnet welded to a Rumanian backside taking tourists to the airport in a previous life.

1bassleft
Resident
Posts: 556
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:00 am
Location: Benalmadena Costa

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby 1bassleft » Mon Dec 18, 2017 2:03 am

Final "is Carfax any use?" opinion from me.
I used up 10 checks for €25 and purchased another 10. On my 15th check, I've finally put a deposit on a car and I'm (hopefully) driving it away today (Monday 18/12). A quick summary:
1) Ownership changes are very up to date - same month as checked.
2) ITV tests are not up to date. None of the 15 cars checked had a 2017 result, even in December.
3) Previous ITVs, and their kms when tested, are patchy. Nothing before 2012, even if it must have had one, and I don't think any car had an unbroken string recorded. Did flag up one example of kms going backwards from one ITV to the next.
4) Unlike the ejemplo, not one of the 15 had records of a service carried out.
5) No indication if SUMA is up to date, but a couple were flagged as untaxed in bygone years.

Was it worth it? Yes (although could - should - be better). One €3500 car from a privateer stunk and I "made my excuses and left" as they say although I never even went for a look - just texted I'd found something else. One €5000 from a dealer up my street was 75hp/8V not 95hp/16V and 3 more owners than the "one careful lady" advertized: second time Carfax has pinged this dealer for me. It also pretty thoroughly backed up an honest Alfa description that sadly sold before I could get to it. It's neither concerned nor reassured me about the one I'm actually getting. 6/10 for the 10 cars/€25 deal; 2/10 if paying for a single car checkup.

Miro
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3584
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: Merseyside, formally Torremolinos

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby Miro » Mon Dec 18, 2017 3:06 pm

Hope the new wheels turn out to be satisfactory & reliable.
None of what you say about the rejected possibles surprises me. If my old Landcruiser that I brought to Spain 20 odd years ago is still knocking around, the paperwork will no doubt still show it as having a 3.0l diesel motor, even though it actually had a 2.5l petrol engine. Long story short - the 2.5l petrol was only ever sold new in Germany where it was originally registered, and the nearest equivalent model the Spanish authorities could identify when I re-registered it was the 3.0 diesel - so that's what it was registered as! I wonder if Carfax would pick up on that?!
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: Anyway of checking vehicle history?

Postby olive » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:07 pm

A lot of the cars we might be interested in (maybe 2 in 3) are North European imports. It is interesting how ads now have nacional car in the wording as a plus! Some have service history.

I wonder how carfax or any other service would manage those?


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: country boy and 21 guests