Check the vehicle is not stolen, UK

Check you are not buying a stolen vehicle and not in problems

You can reduce the risk of buying a stolen vehicle by following these steps.

Before you see the vehicle

1. Ask the seller for the registration number, make and model and MOT test number.
2. Use DVLA’s online vehicle enquiry service to check that the details you’ve been given match their records.
3. Check that the vehicle’s MOT is up to date, and the MOT historymatches the details you’ve been given.

When you go to see the vehicle

1. Ask to see the V5C vehicle registration certificate (‘log book’). Make sure it has a ‘DVL’ watermark, and the serial number isn’t between BG8229501 to BG9999030, or BI2305501 to BI2800000. If it is, the V5C might be stolen - call the police as soon as it’s safe to. Most new V5Cs are now red but some older ones may not be - to check the V5C is the latest issued use the DVLA vehicle enquiry service.
2. Make sure the details in the log book match the details you’ve been given.
3. Check the vehicle identification number and engine number. Make sure these match the details on the log book.

source : https://www.gov.uk