How to check a used car's history: PPSR, write-off and stolen checks
A used car can look spotless and still carry a problem you can't see: a loan the last owner never paid off, a write-off record, or a safety recall that was never fixed. Most of that can be checked in a few minutes, and the main check costs $2. Here's how.
Start with the VIN
Modern cars carry a 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN). It's usually on a plate or sticker in the door jamb or engine bay, often visible at the base of the windscreen, and printed on the registration certificate. Our car pages show each car's VIN, so you can run these checks before you visit.
Before anything else, make sure the numbers match. The Queensland Government suggests checking that the number plate, build date, VIN and engine number on the registration certificate all match the car exactly.
The PPSR search: money owing, write-offs and theft
The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is the Australian Government's register of security interests. A car search costs $2 at the time of writing, is done online, and can tell you:
- Whether the car is recorded as free from debt. If a lender has registered a security interest, it may have the right to take the car back if the loan isn't repaid.
- Whether it's recorded as written off.
- Whether it's recorded as stolen.
Write-off and stolen records come from state and territory road agencies and police, through a national system called NEVDIS. The PPSR notes that this data isn't always available or up to date, so treat a clear result as strong evidence rather than the final word.
You'll get a search certificate by email. Keep it with your purchase papers. Search as close as you can to the day you pay, because a new security interest can be registered at any time.
Written off: repairable or statutory
When a damaged car is assessed as a total loss, it's recorded on the written-off vehicle register, a list shared by every state and territory and searchable through the PPSR. In Queensland there are two kinds:
- Statutory write-off. The damage is too severe for the car to return to the road. It can't be re-registered anywhere in Australia, even if it's repaired.
- Repairable write-off. It can go back on the road, but only after passing a safety certificate inspection and a Written-off Vehicle Inspection (WOVI), which checks for stolen parts.
A write-off record stays with the car for life, even after repairs and sales. A repaired car isn't necessarily a bad car, but you should know about its history before you buy. When a listing says "no WOVI", the seller is saying the car hasn't needed a Written-off Vehicle Inspection, so it isn't recorded as a repairable write-off. A PPSR search is how you check.
Safety recalls
Recalls happen when a vehicle or part has a safety issue or doesn't meet Australian standards, and they're easy to miss when a car has changed hands. Search the Australian Government's recall site, vehiclerecalls.gov.au, for the make and model, and check the manufacturer's own website, where many let you enter the VIN. If a recall is open, ask whether the work has been done and whether there's a record of it.
Service history and the odometer
Paperwork fills in what the registers can't:
- Log books and receipts. Services at regular intervals, with the date and kilometres recorded each time.
- Kilometres that make sense. Readings in the log book should climb steadily. A reading that goes backwards, or a long gap with no explanation, is worth asking about. Winding back an odometer is illegal.
- Keys. Ask how many come with the car. Replacing a modern key can be costly.
- Registration papers, including the rego expiry date.
How we handle it
Our cars come with a clear title, a clean PPSR check and a current safety certificate. You're welcome to run your own PPSR search on any of our cars too; the VIN is on the car's page. If anything in a search or the service history raises a question, ask us and we'll go through it with you. You can also read what the law gives you when you buy from a dealer.
General information only, checked against the sources below in September 2026.