Car Finance Check Ireland

Why outstanding finance matters

With hire purchase (HP) and many PCP agreements, the finance company owns the car until the agreement is paid off. The driver is only using it. If someone sells a car that still has finance on it, it may not be theirs to sell — and the finance company may still have a claim on it after you've paid.

That is why a finance check is one of the most important things to do before buying privately, whether you found the car on DoneDeal, Carzone, Facebook Marketplace or through a friend.

Hire purchase, PCP and personal loans — what's the difference?

• Hire purchase (HP): you pay monthly and own the car only after the final payment.
• PCP: lower monthly payments with a large final "balloon" payment. Until that's paid, the car usually belongs to the lender.
• Personal loan: the borrower owns the car outright, so the loan is normally not tied to the vehicle.

A finance check looks for agreements recorded against the vehicle itself, which is why HP and PCP are the ones that matter most to a buyer.

Warning signs to watch for

• The seller is vague about how or when they bought the car
• The price is well below similar cars for sale
• The seller pushes for a quick cash sale or meets you away from their home
• The registration certificate (logbook) is missing or in another name
• The car is only a year or two old and being sold privately

Questions to ask the seller

• "Is there any finance on the car, now or in the past?"
• "Can I see the logbook and a recent finance statement or settlement letter?"
• "Can we meet at the address on the logbook?"

If finance is recorded on the car

Don't hand over any money yet. Ask the seller to clear the finance first and to show you written confirmation from the finance company that the agreement is settled. If they can't or won't, it's safest to walk away.

How to check a car for finance

Enter the registration above. The free check confirms the make, model and engine, so you know it's the right car. The full report for €29.99 then shows the finance result returned by our data provider, along with write-off and mileage records.