Guides
Used car buying guides
Plain-English guides to help you buy a used car, bike, caravan or boat with the facts in hand.
Buying guides
Used car buying checklist
Every step of a private sale, from the first phone call to the rego transfer.
Buying on Facebook Marketplace & Gumtree
Common online car scams, warning signs and how to pay safely.
Car finance owing
How to check for money owing, and what to do if a car has it.
Dealer vs private sale
Price, guarantees, warranties and clear title compared.
Free rego check by state
Where to check registration in each state, and what it won’t show.
Pre-purchase inspections
What’s checked, who does it, and how it differs from a roadworthy.
Rebirthed and cloned cars
Warning signs of a stolen car with a fake identity.
Selling a car privately
Paperwork, clearing finance, safe payment and notifying the road authority.
Buying a used car by state
Road authorities, safety certificates, transfers and stamp duty across Australia.
What is a VIN?
What each of the 17 characters means, and why a VIN never uses I, O or Q.
Where’s my VIN?
Photos showing where to find the VIN on cars, motorbikes, caravans, boats and tractors.
Vehicle checks explained
PPSR check
What the national register shows, and why to search it on the day you pay.
Written-off vehicle check
Repairable vs statutory write-offs, and what they mean for buyers.
Stolen vehicle check
How to check a vehicle and its plates, and warning signs of a stolen car.
Odometer check
How wound-back kilometres are detected, and signs to look for.
Full vehicle history report
Safety and emissions ratings, insurance claim warnings and rego details, in one report.
REVS check
What REVS was and why it’s now a PPSR search.