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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have a old kawasaki with a 12 digit vin and no reg or v5 paper work other websites would only accept a 17 digit vin I even got a m.o.t garage to check against the vin and nothing came back but car... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This app is a reliable tool for obtaining comprehensive information about a specific vehicle. However, its effectiveness depends on the data provided, and it might inform you about an issue without pr... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I recently sold my car through Car Owl, and I must say, the experience was fantastic. The process was straightforward, and the staff were very helpful. They connected me with verified dealers who offe... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I paid for a vehicle report. It was more expensive than other reports I ran against the same vehicle and had the same info. That was fine I knew that before I bought it. I left feedback sta... See more

Company replied

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Company details

  1. Car Service
  2. Auto Auction
  3. Research and Product Development
  4. Software Company
  5. Used Car Dealer

Written by the company

Car Owl is a website that makes car ownership simple. If you want to sell your car, you can do it for free with Car Owl. It’s fast and easy to find buyers. If you are buying a car, Car Owl helps you check the car’s history. You can learn if it has been in accidents or has unpaid finance. Car Owl also lets you check MOT status and find the cheapest fuel nearby. It’s a great way to save money and stay safe on the road. Car Owl is here to make owning a car easy and stress-free.


Contact info

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

87 reviews

5-star
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1-star

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent service fast and efficient

Excellent service fast and efficient

February 8, 2026
Unprompted review
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for the 5-star review!

We are glad you found the service fast and efficient. That is exactly what we build Car Owl for. Clear data, no delays, and no unnecessary steps.

If you ever need another vehicle check, fuel price comparison, or anything else car related, we are here to help.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This app is a reliable tool for…

This app is a reliable tool for obtaining comprehensive information about a specific vehicle. However, its effectiveness depends on the data provided, and it might inform you about an issue without providing details, leaving some ambiguity. It's user-friendly, which is why I rate it four stars.

January 14, 2026
Unprompted review
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for the review! We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and we are glad you found Car Owl easy to use. If you need a vehicle check in the future, feel free to use us again.

The Car Owl Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Had a phone conversation with a woman…

Had a phone conversation with a woman who was extremely supportive. I've already suggested this service to others.

December 16, 2025
Unprompted review
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thanks for the lovely review, Amanda.

We are really pleased to hear the support you received made a difference. Taking the time to speak things through properly is important, especially when buying a car.

Thank you for recommending Car Owl to others. That means a lot to us, and we are always here if you need help again.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good service,but pricey

Good service, but a bit pricey compared to others

December 7, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Hi Michael,

With an older vehicle like a 1986 Kawasaki, our checks are naturally more detailed. Older vehicle records are often incomplete, fragmented, or held across multiple systems, which makes verifying details more time-consuming and costly than with modern vehicles. That complexity is what drives the price, not mark-ups.

Other cheaper checks usually gloss over older vehicles or return very limited results. We take the opposite approach. We dig deeper, cross-check more sources, and present the information clearly so buyers are not left guessing. That thoroughness is exactly why people use us, especially on classic and older vehicles where the risk is higher.

We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, and we’re here for you in the future if you ever need another check.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Car Owl were able to achieve the…

Car Owl were able to achieve the retrieval of a registration number from the vin number, Where 2 other companies i tried failed.

November 28, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your feedback, Andrew.

We are pleased to hear that we were able to successfully retrieve the registration from the VIN when others could not. Our systems are built to dig deeper into official UK data sources to provide accurate results where possible.

Thank you for choosing Car Owl and for taking the time to share your experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Vin check

Grant spp instant results.

December 4, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your review.

We are glad you found the VIN check quick and the results instant. Speed and accuracy are exactly what we aim to deliver with every check.

If you need another check in the future, Car Owl is always here to help.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Job done.

Cheaper options, looked at the number of checks and thought value for money. Got what I wanted.

December 2, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you, Paul, for the great review.

We are glad you found clear value in the number of checks included and that everything delivered exactly what you needed. We work hard to keep our vehicle history checks both affordable and thorough, so your feedback means a lot.

If you ever need another check in the future, we will be happy to help.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Told me nothing that I couldn't get for…

Told me nothing that I couldn't get for free on DVLA website. Vehicle had been imported some years ago, but there were absolutely no details about its history prior to it being registered in the UK. I am sure it works sometimes but in my case it wasn't money well spent.

November 13, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Hi Nick,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and I am sorry to hear you felt the report was not good value in your case.

To clear this up, we do not state anywhere on our website that we can provide a full history from before an imported vehicle was first registered in the UK. That information is often not available in any UK databases, so there are natural limits on what anyone can see about the earlier life of an import.

What our report does do is cover the key risks that can affect you now in the UK. This includes checks for:

- Outstanding finance
- Insurance write off status
- Stolen markers
- Export or scrappage status
- Plate changes and other UK registration history
+ much more

All of these checks were completed on your vehicle and included in your report, even though there was no data available from before it came into the UK.

I do understand it is frustrating when you are hoping for more detail on an imported car. If you would like, email our support team with your registration number and we can go through the report with you and explain what each part means and what can and cannot be found for imported vehicles.

Thanks,
The Car Owl Team

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Report was not detailed enough and was…

Report was not detailed enough and was missing description from insurance about collision of the car. There was only category mentioned and that was all. Seller was trying to hide the fact of collision and car was repaired but without knowing the damage it is hard to ensure that repairs were done properly.

November 13, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your feedback. I understand why you wanted a full breakdown of the accident and photos of the damage. We scan official insurance write off records and those records only show the category the vehicle was placed in. Insurers do not release repair reports, photos or descriptions of the collision to any history check provider in the UK.

If that information existed in the public data we would include it. Our report showed the correct write off status so you could make an informed decision and avoid a hidden issue. If you need any help understanding the category or what it means for the car, I am happy to guide you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Vin to reg found

I have a old kawasaki with a 12 digit vin and no reg or v5 paper work other websites would only accept a 17 digit vin I even got a m.o.t garage to check against the vin and nothing came back but car owl somehow managed find info on the bike and after paying for a premium check I now have a reg and history i couldn't be happier

September 29, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Hi James,

Thank you for sharing your experience. Older bikes with 12-digit VINs are tough to trace, and most sites will only process the 17-digit format. We’re proud that Car Owl is the only platform able to carry out a car history check on vehicles with less than 17 digits. We’re delighted we could help you uncover the registration and history for your Kawasaki when others couldn’t.

Kind regards,
The Car Owl Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had an excellent experience

I had an excellent experience. The service was quick, and the customer service team was very friendly and professional.

October 1, 2025
Unprompted review
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you so much for your kind words, Suhib. We’re really pleased to hear that you had an excellent experience with us. Providing a quick, friendly and professional service is exactly what we aim for, and it’s great to know we delivered that for you

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Asked for a report. Got a report.


I paid for a vehicle report. It was more expensive than other reports I ran against the same vehicle and had the same info.

That was fine I knew that before I bought it.

I left feedback stating I was sick of being pestered for reviews but they actually reached out to say they understood amd wpuld take action, which i appreciate. Im also conscious that the pestering may have been more trustpilot than CarOwl. As such my one star review is a bit mean, and not reflective of this company.

Consumers,proceed with confidence!

September 16, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thanks a lot for updating your review. We’re glad we could clear things up and really appreciate you giving us the chance to make it right.

Our reports are here to give peace of mind when buying a car, and it means a lot that you’ve said people can proceed with confidence. Feedback like yours helps us keep improving, so thank you again for being open and fair.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Simple easy and just brilliant

Simple easy and just brilliant. Very detailed and even calculates how much the Vehicle will cost to run

September 9, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you Ibrahim for the 5-star review. We’re glad you found the process simple and easy. Our vehicle history checks are designed to give clear, detailed information and even include a running cost calculator, so you can see the true cost of owning the car. It’s great to know this helped you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Car check

Purchased to check on a car I wanted to buy

September 7, 2025
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Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your review, Noel. We’re glad you used Car Owl to check a vehicle before purchase. A full vehicle history check is always the safest step when buying a used car, as it can reveal issues such as outstanding finance, write-offs, or mileage discrepancies that sellers might not mention. We’re pleased our car check service helped give you the information you needed and we hope it made your buying decision more confident.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great tool for its purpose

Easy, quick & accurate

September 1, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thanks Pambos, we really appreciate your feedback. At CarOwl our goal is to make vehicle history checks as quick, easy and accurate as possible so drivers can make confident decisions when buying a used car. Every full report covers theft, write-offs, outstanding finance, mileage discrepancies and more, so you always know the full history before you buy. Glad to hear our car history check tool delivered exactly what you needed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Hope i didn't get you out of bed but…

Hope i didn't get you out of bed but perfect support (even on a Sunday morning !!!) Thank you

August 24, 2025
Unprompted review
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Don't worry, our owls are always wide awake — even on a Sunday morning! 🦉 Thank you for your kind words and for choosing Car Owl!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Overpriced

August 7, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your feedback. We understand we may not be the cheapest option, but we focus on providing a high quality, detailed service that gives you the most accurate and comprehensive vehicle information possible. We believe the peace of mind this offers is worth the investment.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

great gave me all the information i needed top marks

July 13, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thanks so much for the kind words! We’re really glad you found everything you needed. If you ever need help again or have any questions, we’re just a message away. Appreciate the support!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Really good app, easy to use

This is a good application to use to get a full rundown on a particular vehicle. That being said it is only as useful as information that has been inputted into it and it may tell you that there is a problem but can’t go into detail so you kind of left in the dark. Good app easy to use, hence four stars.

July 4, 2025
CAR OWL logo

Reply from CAR OWL

Thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to leave a review.

We're really pleased to hear that you found the app easy to use and helpful overall. You're absolutely right that the accuracy of our reports depends on the quality of the data available from official sources like the DVLA, insurers and other records. For imported vehicles, the data can sometimes be limited if the full history was not recorded in the UK.

We understand how it can be frustrating to see a warning without further detail. We're actively working on improvements to make these alerts clearer and to give users more context when issues are found. Our goal is to help you make confident and informed decisions, even when data is incomplete.

Thanks again for your honest feedback. It really helps us improve.

The Car Owl Team

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