UK Vehicle & Trade Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the UK vehicle and motor-trade terms you'll see across DealerPricing — written so you can use them with confidence, whether you're a dealer, a buyer or a developer integrating our API.
Provenance
- HPI checkAn HPI check is a UK vehicle history report that confirms whether a car is stolen, has outstanding finance, has been written off, has mileage discrepancy, or has had its plate, colour or keeper details changed.
- Vehicle provenanceVehicle provenance is the verified history of a UK vehicle's ownership, status and incidents — covering stolen markers, finance, write-offs, mileage, plate changes, and keeper history.
- Category A write-offCategory A is the most severe UK insurance write-off classification — the vehicle must be scrapped in its entirety with no parts salvaged for re-use.
- Category B write-offCategory B is the second-most-severe UK write-off — the body shell must be destroyed but salvageable mechanical parts may be sold for use in other vehicles.
- Category S write-offCategory S means a UK vehicle has been written off due to structural damage but has been (or can be) repaired and legally returned to the road.
- Category N write-offCategory N means a UK vehicle has been written off due to non-structural damage — cosmetic, electrical or component-level — and can be repaired and legally returned to the road.
- Outstanding financeOutstanding finance means a UK vehicle has an active hire purchase, PCP or other finance agreement registered against it — and the finance company has the legal right to repossess the vehicle even after sale.
- Mileage discrepancyA mileage discrepancy occurs when a UK vehicle's recorded mileage decreases between MOT tests or other records — the leading indicator that the odometer has been illegally tampered with.
Valuations
- Trade valuationA trade valuation is the price a UK motor trader would pay for a vehicle as trade stock — typically the wholesale or auction value rather than the retail (forecourt) asking price.
- Part exchange valuePart exchange value is the amount a dealer offers against a customer's existing vehicle when they buy a new one — usually equal to or slightly below the trade valuation.
Documentation
- V5C logbookThe V5C is the official UK vehicle registration document issued by DVLA, showing the registered keeper, vehicle technical details and ownership history.
- Service historyService history is the documented record of every service, repair and maintenance event a vehicle has had — typically held in the service book, on the manufacturer's dealer system, or in a digital service record.
Vehicle data
- MOT historyMOT history is the record of every annual MOT test a UK vehicle has had since 2005, including pass/fail status, mileage at each test, expiry dates, advisories and recorded defects.
- Vehicle tax statusVehicle tax status is the current DVLA record of whether a UK vehicle has valid Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, commonly "road tax") in place — and if so, when it expires.
- VRM (vehicle registration mark)A VRM (Vehicle Registration Mark) is the unique alphanumeric code displayed on a UK vehicle's number plate, used by DVLA, insurers and ANPR cameras to identify the vehicle.
Run a check on a real vehicle
The fastest way to understand any of these terms is to see one on a real UK vehicle. DealerPricing runs a free MOT and DVLA check with no signup — or a full HPI / provenance check from £2.50.