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A worked example for an unfamiliar car

Know what to ask before you travel—and what to check when you get there.

You do not need to be a car expert. Follow one fictional car as AskCarl separates advert claims, dated records and open proof, then carries the useful checks into the seller call and viewing.

Check an advert freeFollow the worked example
Start free. Pay only if the car stays in the running.

Three advert checks are free. £4.99 opens one car for seven days; £12.99 covers a 30-day search.

01 · Free

Know what deserves attention before you pay

Confirm the car, open its available dated MOT results and mileage trail, and—when an official record is attached—carry one focused current-condition check to the car.

Free advert check

2019 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Match

Private seller · 38,400 miles · automatic · petrol
Free · sample

What stands out

Tyre-related findings appear on two separate MOT dates.

Recorded in May 2023 and May 2025. That makes current tyre condition worth checking; the record does not show which tyres are fitted now.

Useful now · included free

The exact car's available official trail

5 dated MOT results · 5 mileage readings · 2 recorded findings

  1. Passed37,820 miles

    No recorded findings

  2. Passed31,440 miles

    Nearside front tyre worn close to the legal limit

  3. Passed24,960 miles

    No recorded findings

Open 2 earlier MOT results
  1. Failed18,210 miles

    Offside rear tyre tread depth below requirements

  2. Passed18,214 miles

    No recorded findings

Historic contextThese dated entries do not show whether the same tyres are fitted now or establish their current condition.
At the carCheck tyre age, even wear and matching pairs; the record does not establish what is fitted now.
Still considering this car?The one-car file adds matched context and keeps the dated record, seller reply and viewing findings together for seven days.
See what £4.99 opens

02 · £4.99 for this car

Carry the evidence into the seller call and viewing

Open matched asking-price and model-year context when a close enough sample exists, then keep seller replies, viewing findings and offer conditions with this car for seven days.

One-car file · selective sample

2019 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Match

Saved advert · private seller · 38,400 miles
£4.99 · 7 days

One car · from claim to offer

A claim, a dated pattern and two conditions before an offer.

The free record stays free. Paid access adds matched context and keeps the follow-up trail attached to this candidate.

Advert claimCaptured
“Full service history”

A seller statement, not proof.

Official recordIncluded free
Tyre-related findings on two separate MOT dates

Current tyre condition remains unknown. Check tyre age, even wear and matching pairs at the car.

Matched asking pricesCar file
£10,995 asking · £10,750 matched median

13 advertised prices · middle 50% £9,900–£11,400 · observed 1–24 Aug 2026 · close make, model, year and mileage match.

Asking prices, not completed-sale values.
Matched model-year populationCar file
24.0% did not pass on first presentation

18,420 eligible DVSA test events for 2019 petrol Golfs in 2025 · in line with the same-year and fuel baseline. Tyre-related findings appeared in 8.6% of eligible test events.

Population context only. This car's two dated tyre findings are what put tyre checks into its viewing plan. Updated 1 Aug 2026.
Evidence updateCar file
Service record matches. Front tyres show uneven wear.

The service-history condition is cleared. Keep the offer open until the tyre condition is assessed and any real replacement cost is known.

Start with the advert in front of you

You do not need to know every question yet.

Paste the link. AskCarl will show what it could confirm, what remains unverified and—only when the evidence supports it—one useful next step. It will not invent a task to fill the page. Your first three advert checks are free; no card is needed.

Check my advert free

One-off payments · no subscription · 14-day refund promise