carVertical Review UK (2026): Is It Worth £39.99?

carVertical is worth £39.99 for some UK buyers, not all of them. It earns its price on imported cars, when old listing photos or a market valuation would change your decision, and when you are comparing two or three cars with a bundle (from £16.79 a car with the code KALOGB). For a UK-only car with a clean, consistent MOT record, start with the free GOV.UK checks and then decide whether you need a paid report at all.

What carVertical is and how it works in the UK

carVertical is a vehicle history service founded in Lithuania in 2017. It does not create data itself: it pulls records from registries, insurers, police databases, garages, listing sites and other providers, then puts them into one report. The company says it draws on more than 1,000 data sources across dozens of countries.

On the UK site, carvertical.com/gb, the process is simple:

1. Enter a UK number plate (reg) or the 17-character VIN.
2. Choose a single report or a bundle, add a voucher code if you have one, and pay.
3. The report is usually ready within a few minutes. You read it in the browser or save it as a PDF.

Prices include VAT. Bundled reports you have not used yet stay in your account for six months.

What a UK carVertical report covers

carVertical's own GB sample report (a 2017 Audi A4) is split into these sections: Photos, Theft, Mileage, Financial and legal status check, Recommended service schedule, Damage, Market price, Emissions, tax and fees, Specs and equipment, Safety, Recalls, Ownership and Timeline. There is also a "carVertical Score" at the top, which is still labelled beta.

The important phrase is "where records exist". A section only contains something if one of carVertical's sources holds data on that car. A two-year-old UK car with one keeper may come back with very little; a ten-year-old import may have records from three countries. For a section-by-section walk-through, see what's in a carVertical report for a UK car.

Where carVertical is strongest

Imported cars

This is the clearest case for paying. GOV.UK MOT history only starts once the car has been tested in Great Britain, so a car imported from Germany or Japan at six years old has a blank first chapter. carVertical searches databases in other countries, so earlier mileage readings, damage records or a stolen-vehicle flag abroad can show up. If the car you're viewing came in from abroad, read our guide to checking an imported car's history.

Photos from past listings

When a car has been advertised or auctioned before, carVertical may show the old photos. These are useful for spotting a different colour, previous damage, missing trim or a dashboard showing more miles than the current advert claims. No free UK service offers this.

Valuation

The Market price section gives a low, average and high price for that make, model, age, fuel and gearbox in the UK market. It is a model-level estimate, not an inspection, but it helps you judge whether an asking price is in the right range before you start haggling.

Bundles for comparing cars

Most people look at more than one car. The three-report bundle costs £20.99 per report, or £16.79 per report with the code KALOGB. If you're choosing between three cars, that brings the per-car cost well below the single-report price.

Where carVertical is weaker

It costs more than basic UK checks

A single report is £39.99 (£31.99 with KALOGB). Basic UK-only history checks cost less, and several free official checks cover a lot of ground. If all you need is to confirm the MOT record and tax status of a UK-only car, carVertical is not the cheapest way to do it.

Coverage varies by car

carVertical's own terms say data availability depends on the country of registration, the manufacturer, the model and other factors. Some cars produce long reports; others produce a handful of entries. You'll see which data categories will be checked once you enter the VIN or reg, but that is not a promise that each category will contain records.

Much of the UK basics are free

Before you buy any paid report, use these:

• GOV.UK MOT history (gov.uk/check-mot-history): every MOT result for cars tested in Great Britain since 2005, the recorded mileage at each test, what failed and any minor problems noted.
• DVLA vehicle enquiry (vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk): tax status, MOT expiry, date of first registration, CO2 emissions, engine size, the date the V5C logbook was last issued and export status.
• The V5C logbook and service history: check the details match the car and the seller.

Our free car check guide shows how to work through these in about ten minutes.

carVertical reviews: what Reddit and Trustpilot users say

Reviews are mixed. People who caught clocked mileage, an undisclosed write-off or heavy past damage tend to rate the service highly. The complaints that come up most often concern reports with few records, and people who expected a UK-only car to have as much history as an import. Trustpilot scores move over time, so check the live page and read recent one-star and five-star reviews rather than an average.

Two points in carVertical's favour if a report disappoints:

• No-findings reports are returned. If the report has no historical data, typically in the Odometer, Damage and Timeline sections, a report credit goes back into your account automatically.
• Other return requests can be made within 30 days of generating the report, for example if there are errors, by emailing support with the VIN, purchase date and an explanation.

What it costs, with and without KALOGB

UK prices, including VAT:

• 1 report: £39.99, or £31.99 with KALOGB
• 2 reports: £25.99 each (£51.98), or £20.79 each with KALOGB (£41.58)
• 3 reports: £20.99 each (£62.97), or £16.79 each with KALOGB (£50.38)

The code takes exactly 20% off every option. You can type KALOGB into the voucher field at checkout on carvertical.com/gb; our carVertical discount code page has the current details, and the price guide explains which bundle to choose.

Is carVertical worth it? A quick test

Pay for a carVertical report if one or more of these is true:

• The car was imported, or the MOT history starts later than the car's age suggests.
• The MOT mileage has a gap, a drop, or a long period with no tests.
• You want old listing photos, a valuation and a write-off and finance check in one place.
• You're comparing two or three cars and can use a bundle.
• The car costs enough that £16.79–£31.99 is a small fraction of what a bad buy would cost you.

Skip it, or use a cheaper UK-focused check, if the car is UK-only, the MOT history is clean and steady, the V5C and service history line up, and you mainly need a finance and write-off check.

Whatever report you buy, it doesn't replace a look under the car. Book an independent inspection (AA, RAC or a mechanic you trust) on anything you're not confident assessing yourself.

Verdict

carVertical is a solid, well-presented report whose real value shows up on imports, older cars with a long paper trail, and multi-car comparisons. It is not the cheapest UK check and it cannot find records that don't exist. Do the free GOV.UK checks first; if they leave questions, or the car came from abroad, carVertical with KALOGB is a reasonable next step. You can also look up how the model performs at the MOT in our reliability rankings before you go and see it.