HPI Check vs CarIntellect: What's the Difference?
Most used car buyers have heard of an HPI check. Fewer know that it covers a completely different set of risks from MOT history analysis. This guide explains exactly what each check covers, where they overlap, and how to use both to buy with confidence.
HPI Check
Legal & financial historyCovers:
- ✓Outstanding finance on the vehicle
- ✓Stolen vehicle marker
- ✓Write-off and salvage category (where recorded)
- ✓Previous keeper information where available
- ✓Plate change history
Does not cover:
- ✗MOT test history
- ✗Mechanical condition signals
- ✗Advisory patterns or recurring faults
Typical cost: Usually around £15–£25 per check, depending on provider
CarIntellect
MOT history & mechanical conditionCovers:
- ✓Full DVSA MOT test history
- ✓Recurring advisory patterns
- ✓Same-day fail then pass events
- ✓Mileage consistency across tests
- ✓AI risk verdict and negotiation leverage
Does not cover:
- ✗Finance, stolen, or write-off records
- ✗Insurance history
- ✗Keeper count
Typical cost: £2.99 per report
They answer different questions
An HPI check tells you whether the car is legally safe to buy — whether someone else has a financial claim on it, whether it has been reported stolen, or whether it was previously so badly damaged that an insurer wrote it off. These are binary risks: either the car is clean or it is not.
CarIntellect tells you whether the car is mechanically sound to buy. A car can be completely clean on an HPI check and still have a MOT history full of recurring brake advisories, same-day failures, and a mileage pattern that does not add up. The two checks address completely different questions about completely different risks.
When do you need both?
Run a CarIntellect check first
For £2.99, CarIntellect gives you a full AI risk verdict on the car's MOT history before you've driven to a viewing or spoken to the seller. You'll know the risk score, what to negotiate on, and whether the history has patterns serious enough to walk away from — in under a minute.
Add an HPI check before you hand over money
Once CarIntellect gives the history a clean signal and you're seriously considering buying, an HPI check covers the risks CarIntellect cannot see — outstanding finance, stolen markers, and write-off status. At that stage £15–£25 is worth it for peace of mind on the legal side.
Any car being sold as recently serviced or problem-free
If a seller is making strong claims about a car's condition, running both checks takes less than five minutes and gives you documented evidence either supporting or contradicting those claims before you hand over any money.
Check the MOT history before you speak to the seller
Free MOT history for any UK reg. Upgrade for £2.99 to see the AI risk verdict, negotiation leverage figure, and the questions to ask the seller.
Related guides
Check any UK car before you buy
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