Get Your AI Vehicle Valuation
Enter your reg or VIN, answer a few quick questions, and our AI prices your car against the live UK market in seconds.

The basics
What is a vehicle valuation?
A vehicle valuation is an estimate of what your car is worth right now. A good valuation does not just look at the make, model and year. It also weighs up mileage, condition, service history and what similar cars are actually selling for today. Car Owl uses AI together with live UK market data to give you a clear, up to date figure for your exact vehicle, whether you plan to sell privately, part-exchange or simply want to know where you stand.
What you get
What your AI valuation includes
Private sale value
A realistic price range for selling your car privately to another driver.
Part-exchange value
What a dealer is likely to offer if you trade your car in against another.
Forecourt value
The retail price your car would likely sit at on a dealer forecourt.
Live market insight
How much demand there is for your model right now, based on current listings.
What drives the price
A plain English breakdown of the things lifting or lowering your car's value.
Tips to sell for more
Practical, tailored tips to help you get the best possible price for your car.
Inside the report
What moves a valuation more than mileage does
Any marker on a car's record changes what it is worth, and a buyer will find them. The write-off panel is open first, because it is the one that moves the number furthest.
Is the vehicle still on finance?
If a lender still has an interest in the vehicle, they can repossess it from your driveway. The seller keeps your money.
- Searched against
- The UK finance register
- Agreement types
- PCP, HP, lease, unit stocking
- Report shows
- Agreement type, date and status
- Recorded by
- The lender, not the seller
Source: UK Finance Register
Has it been written off?
Insurers record a category when a vehicle is damaged badly enough to be uneconomical to repair. Cat S and Cat N vehicles can legally return to the road.
- Searched against
- MIAFTR, the insurance loss register
- Categories covered
- A, B, C, D, S and N
- Report shows
- Category, and the date of loss
- Also covered
- Salvage and total-loss records
Source: MIAFTR
Does the mileage add up?
Every MOT reading is on record. A reading that goes down, or a jump that does not fit the pattern, is the clearest sign of a clocked vehicle.
- Readings used
- Every MOT reading on file
- Looking for
- Readings that fall, or jump
- Report shows
- The full run of readings, in order
- Also covered
- Average miles a year
Source: DVSA MOT history
Is it recorded as stolen?
A car reported stolen and never recovered stays flagged on the Police National Computer. Buying one means losing the vehicle and the money.
- Searched against
- The Police National Computer
- Marker covers
- Vehicles reported and not recovered
- Report shows
- Whether a theft marker is held
- Also covered
- The vehicle's registration status
Source: Police National Computer
How many hands has it passed through?
Frequent keeper changes can mean a problem car being passed along. The V5C record shows every change of keeper since first registration.
- Source record
- The DVLA keeper record
- Report shows
- How many keepers it has had
- Dates given
- First registration and last change
- Also covered
- How many V5Cs have been issued
Source: DVLA
Has it crossed a border?
An import can be fine, but it changes the history you should expect to find, and an exported marker on a vehicle still being sold here is a red flag.
- Markers checked
- Imported and exported
- Covers
- Vehicles first registered abroad
- Report shows
- Which marker is held, and when
- Also covered
- Whether UK history starts late
Source: DVLA
Has it been scrapped?
A certificate of destruction means the vehicle should not exist on the road. Vehicles with cloned plates borrow the identity of scrapped vehicles.
- Markers checked
- Scrapped, and destroyed
- Covers
- Certificates of destruction
- Report shows
- Whether the record was closed, and when
- Also covered
- Whether the VIN matches the record
Source: DVLA
Has the plate been changed?
Plate changes are legal and common, but they are also how a past identity gets buried. The full history lists every registration the vehicle has worn.
- Source record
- The DVLA registration record
- Report shows
- Every plate the vehicle has worn
- Dates given
- The date of each change
- Also covered
- Personalised plates added and removed
Source: DVLA
What does the MOT record say?
Every test, pass, failure and advisory since the vehicle's third year. Advisories are the useful part: they are a mechanic telling you what was already wearing out.
- Tests listed
- Every test on record
- Report shows
- Result, date and mileage for each
- Also covered
- Advisories and reasons for failure
- Goes back to
- The vehicle's third year
Source: DVSA MOT history
Is there an outstanding safety recall?
Manufacturers issue recalls when a fault could be dangerous. The work is free, but it only happens if somebody books it in, and a recall can sit unactioned for years.
- Searched against
- The DVSA recalls database
- Report shows
- Recalls affecting this vehicle
- Also covered
- Recall history for the model
- Cost to put right
- Free, at a franchised dealer
Source: DVSA recalls database
Has it been resprayed?
A recorded colour change can be a personal choice. It can also be how accident repairs or a previous identity stop being obvious at a glance.
- Source record
- The DVLA vehicle record
- Report shows
- Every recorded colour change
- Dates given
- The date of each change
- Also covered
- The colour at first registration
Source: DVLA
Does the vehicle match its paperwork?
The VIN on the vehicle should match the one on the record. When it does not, you are looking at a cloned or altered identity, and everything else in the history belongs to a different car.
- Compared
- The VIN against the DVLA record
- Report shows
- Whether plate, VIN and record agree
- Catches
- Cloned and altered identities
- Also covered
- How many V5Cs have been issued
Source: DVLA
What will it cost to tax?
The rate depends on emissions and registration date, and the difference between bands is large enough to change which vehicle you should buy.
- Source record
- The DVLA tax record
- Report shows
- Tax status, and the date it runs out
- Rate given
- The annual rate for this vehicle
- Based on
- Emissions and registration date
Source: DVLA
What is actually under the bonnet?
Engine size, power, fuel type and economy, taken from the manufacturer record rather than the advert. Useful for checking a listing describes the vehicle it is actually selling.
- Taken from
- The manufacturer record
- Report shows
- Engine size, power and fuel type
- Also covered
- Economy, emissions and gearbox
- Useful for
- Checking the advert is accurate
Source: Manufacturer data
What will it cost to keep?
Fuel, servicing, insurance group and tax in one place, so the monthly cost of owning the vehicle is visible before you commit to it rather than after.
- Report shows
- Fuel, tax, insurance and servicing
- Fuel worked out from
- The vehicle's own economy figures
- Adjustable
- By the mileage you actually drive
- Also covered
- Typical service and MOT costs
Source: Car Owl running-cost model
What will it be worth later?
What the vehicle is worth now and what it is likely to be worth in three years. Depreciation is usually the largest single cost of owning a vehicle, and the easiest one to ignore.
- Report shows
- What the vehicle is worth today
- Ranges given
- Private sale and trade
- Projected to
- Three years ahead
- Based on
- Age, mileage and market data
Source: Car Owl valuation model
What has happened to this vehicle?
Keeper changes, MOT tests, mileage readings and plate changes on one timeline. Patterns that are invisible in a list of dates tend to be obvious once they are in order.
- Events shown
- Keepers, MOTs, mileage and plates
- Ordered by
- Date, from first registration
- Also covered
- Stretches with no record at all
- Drawn from
- DVLA and DVSA records
Source: DVLA and DVSA records
What should you check in person?
A checklist built around this specific car, including what its own MOT advisories say to look at. It turns a viewing into something you can work through rather than guess at.
- Built from
- This car's own MOT advisories
- Also built from
- Known faults for the model
- Report shows
- What to check, in viewing order
- Includes
- Questions to ask the seller
Source: Car Owl
Also in every full report: VIC marker · Unpaid loan records · Common faults and typical repair costs · Fuel cost calculator · Priority support · 100% money-back guarantee
Easy as 1-2-3
How To Value Your Car With AI
Enter your registration or VIN
Type your number plate or 17 digit VIN so we can identify your exact vehicle.
Answer a few quick questions
Tell us the mileage, condition and service history so the AI can fine tune the figure.
See your valuation
Get an instant, bespoke valuation with a clear breakdown of what your car is worth.
Why AI
Why Use An AI Vehicle Valuation
A traditional valuation tool gives everyone with the same model the same number. Our AI looks at your car's real details and the live market to give you a far more accurate figure.
Based on live market data
We look at what comparable cars are actually selling for today, not stale book prices, so your valuation reflects the real market.
Tailored to your exact car
Mileage, condition, service history and owners all change a car's worth. The AI factors these in for a valuation built around your vehicle.
Free and instant
Get your valuation in seconds with no cost and no obligation. Run a valuation whenever you need one, up to five times a day.
Ready when you are
Happy with the figure? List your car for free to verified dealers, or run a full history check to reassure your buyer.
At a glance
A Smarter Way To Value Your Car
Real data. Real prices. Built around your car.
Most online car valuations rely on broad averages. Car Owl combines official DVLA and MOT data with AI and live market pricing to value your specific vehicle. Tell us about the mileage, condition and history, and we will show you a private sale range, a part-exchange figure and a forecourt price, plus the reasons behind them. It is the clearest way to understand what your car is really worth before you sell.
Know your number before you sell
Walk into any sale or part-exchange knowing a fair, current price so you never accept less than your car is worth.
More than just a price
See what is lifting or lowering your value and get tailored tips to help you sell for the best possible figure.
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Before you sell
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is an AI vehicle valuation
Our AI valuation uses live UK market prices alongside your car's mileage, condition and service history, making it far more accurate than a simple book price. It is a strong guide to what your car is worth, though a physical inspection always gives the final word.
Is the vehicle valuation free
Yes. Car Owl's AI vehicle valuation is completely free. You can run up to five valuations per day at no cost and with no obligation to sell.
What do I need to value my car
Just your registration number or VIN to start. We then ask a few quick questions about mileage, condition and history so the AI can tailor the valuation to your exact car.
How is this different from other car valuation tools
Most tools give every car of the same model the same price. Our AI looks at your specific car and what comparable vehicles are actually selling for right now, so the figure is built around your car, not an average.
Can I sell my car after getting a valuation
Yes. Once you have your valuation you can list your car for free to over 460 verified UK dealers, or run a full history check to reassure private buyers.