Last updated 1 November 2026.
Car Control's Premium check costs £6.99, including VAT, and covers outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen records, plus mileage and MOT history, a valuation and the factory specification. It is a one-off payment with no subscription, and the preview is free.
Why outstanding finance matters
Many cars are bought on hire purchase (HP), PCP or conditional sale. Until the last payment is made, the finance company owns the car, not the driver. If someone sells it before the agreement is paid off, the lender can try to recover the car, even from the new owner.
Private buyers who didn't know about the finance have some protection in law (see below), but relying on it can mean a long, stressful dispute. It's far easier to check first.
How to check if a car is on finance
- Run a finance check on the registration before you pay anything. Lenders record hire purchase, PCP and conditional sale agreements on private finance registers, and a paid vehicle check searches them.
- Look at the V5C logbook, but don't rely on it. The logbook names the registered keeper, not the owner, and says on the front that it isn't proof of ownership. A car on finance comes with a normal logbook in the driver's name.
- Ask the seller whether there's any finance on the car, and keep the answer in writing: the advert, a message or the receipt.
- Check again close to the day you pay. Agreements can be taken out or settled at any time.
Can you check for finance for free?
Not fully. The free government services, DVLA's vehicle enquiry and the MOT history, don't show finance, because DVLA doesn't record finance agreements. The finance registers are run by private vehicle data companies, which charge for searches. That's why every full finance check, ours included, costs money.
What to do if a car has finance
- Don't pay the seller yet. Ask them to settle the agreement first.
- Ask for proof, such as a settlement letter from the finance company showing the agreement is paid off.
- Buying from a dealer? A dealer should settle any finance as part of the sale. Get that in writing.
What the law says if you buy a car with finance
Under section 27 of the Hire Purchase Act 1964, a private buyer who buys a car in good faith, without notice of a hire purchase or conditional sale agreement, becomes its owner. The person who sold it still owes the finance company.
- It covers hire purchase and conditional sale. Most PCP deals are a type of hire purchase, so they're covered too.
- It doesn't cover leased cars or logbook loans. A leased car always belongs to the leasing company, and a logbook loan is secured with a bill of sale, not hire purchase.
- Dealers aren't protected. The Act excludes trade buyers, which is why a dealer should check and settle any finance before selling a car on.
- Good faith matters. If you were told about the finance, or a check showed it and you bought anyway, you can't claim you didn't know.
Even with the law on your side, proving it can take months of letters with a lender. A check before you pay avoids the argument.
How much finance is left on my car?
Only the lender knows the exact amount, so ask them for a settlement figure. It's the sum needed to pay the agreement off on a given date, and it's usually less than the payments left because unearned interest is taken off.
- Ask the finance company by phone, online account or in writing. Under the Consumer Credit Act they must send a settlement figure within 7 working days of your request.
- Check the date it's for. The figure is usually worked out for a date 28 days after the lender gets your request, or a later date you ask for. Pay by then or ask for a new figure.
- Paid half or more? If you've paid at least half the total amount payable on an HP or PCP agreement, you may be able to hand the car back under voluntary termination. Your agreement explains how.
How to check a car loan is paid off
Your online account, or a letter from the lender confirming the agreement is settled, is your proof. Keep it. A check run soon after you settle can still show the agreement until the lender updates the register, and a buyer will want to see that letter.
Selling a car that's still on finance
Settle the agreement before you sell, because until then the lender owns the car. Get a settlement figure, pay it and keep the lender's confirmation. Many dealers and car buying services will settle the finance for you as part of the sale and pay you the difference.
How to check with Car Control
The finance check is part of the Premium report (£6.99). It shows whether a finance agreement is recorded against the car, together with write-off, stolen, scrapped, import and export checks, plate and keeper changes and the full mileage and MOT analysis.
Finance records change as agreements are paid off or taken out, so run the check close to the day you buy. Checking several cars? 3 Premium reports cost £12.99.
Sources: Hire Purchase Act 1964, Part III (sections 27 and 29); Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 97; Consumer Credit (Early Settlement) Regulations 2004, regulation 5; Consumer Credit Act 1974, sections 99 and 100 (voluntary termination). This page is general information, not legal advice.