VOSA Report History

Kimberley

Is this as good as a full service history?

I'm looking at a car tomorrow that has it's full Vosa report history so is that as good as the service history or do I need that as well? Sorry if it's a silly question but I don't have any knowledge about cars. I will be asking my local garage Mechanic if he can come to look the car over for me, that's if he can.

worried_jim

It just means that it has all it's old MOT certificates, but even without they are all online anyway, so as an advert it means pretty much nothing and is offering nothing.

Do you have a link to the advert Kim?

AdrianC

Whatever they might mean by it, no - it's nowhere near the same thing as service history.

Service history tells you what maintenance has been done to the car, by whom and when. It'll tell you of any problems the car may've had. It'll tell you the attitude of the previous owners to faults and niggles - and to spending money on the car. It won't tell you what'll go wrong in the future, of course...

arcon5

It means when an mot failed you know what was replaced.

Doesn't tell you when or if it was even serviced throughout ownership

Kimberley

worried_jim wrote: »

Do you have a link to the advert Kim?

I'll try

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201403212700371/sort/default/usedcars/radius/10/model/yaris/seller-type/trade_adverts/price-to/4000/onesearchad/used/postcode/br13ph/engine-size-cars/1l_to_1-3l/transmission/automatic/page/1/make/toyota?logcode=p

Kimberley

I will probably not get it, phoned them up and they have no service history and it's not taxed. I feel for the price it should at least be taxed.

colino

Incidentally a lot of traders now use this info to somehow "prove" a cars provenance. Maybe this is a one, little old lady car, but lots of companies have cars (they, or a person named is the one owner) and until a change of owner or other event happens, all you have is the information from the first MOT. A lot of miles can go on a company car in those first three years before some of them are corrected.
Check condition of cars with your eyes, not the paperwork.

AdrianC

So negotiate the price of a year's tax. £145 for a year. And the ad makes no mention of service history.

But that "VOSA report" just sounds like a list of previous keepers. Which, if it really is one owner from new, would just be the V5C. Woo.

BeenThroughItAll

Kimberley wrote: »

I will probably not get it, phoned them up and they have no service history and it's not taxed. I feel for the price it should at least be taxed.

Quite right too. Any 'dealership' that describes their vehicles as having 'full leathers' ain't worth a visit in my view.


Probably run by the camel-coated sort who describes the stereo as 'fitted music'.

Bobster64

VOSA MOT data is different to service history. All it shows is that the vehicle has had an MOT and any work that needed to be carried out. It is useful as you can use it to check the mileage recorded in the service history against that on the MOT's. It won't tell you if the car has been reported stolen or been in an accident so you should still check its history using a service like car check uk which costs about £3.