Our Data Sources & Methodology

DVSA — MOT History

Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency · gov.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0

The DVSA has published every MOT test result since 2005 in a public database. For each test we retrieve: the test date, result (pass/fail), test mileage, any failures (with categories), any advisories, and the testing station.

What this tells a buyer: the mileage curve across all tests reveals clocking. Repeated advisories that were never fixed become tomorrow's failures. Failure categories (structural corrosion, brake condition, emissions) indicate deeper maintenance history beyond what a dealer's description covers.

Refresh rate: WheelsAI pulls MOT data live at the point a check is triggered. We do not cache MOT data for more than 24 hours on any individual registration.

Limitations: MOT history begins in 2005. Pre-2005 vehicles have no DVSA record. Private imports, SORN vehicles not tested in the UK, and vehicles less than three years old will have no or limited history.

DVLA — Vehicle Registration & Tax Status

Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency · gov.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0

The DVLA's Vehicle Enquiry Service provides publicly available data on any UK-registered vehicle by VRM. We retrieve: tax status (taxed/SORN/untaxed), tax due date, MOT expiry date, registered colour, engine capacity, fuel type, and first registration date.

What this tells a buyer: an untaxed or SORN vehicle cannot legally be driven on public roads. An MOT expiry date that predates the listing suggests the car was not being used — check the MOT history for context. Colour and engine discrepancies between the DVLA record and the listing description may indicate a V5C mismatch or documentation issue.

Refresh rate: DVLA data is pulled live at the point of check. Tax status can change within 24 hours of a transaction at a Post Office or online.

Experian AutoCheck — HPI, Finance & Write-off

Experian Automotive · dealer-only access · commercial licence

Experian AutoCheck is the industry-standard vehicle history database used by franchise dealerships and finance companies. Access is commercial and restricted to verified dealers on the WheelsAI platform.

For each vehicle our dealers run an AutoCheck on, we retrieve: outstanding finance (amount outstanding, finance company), insurance write-off category (Cat A, B, S, or N), stolen marker, number of previous keepers, colour changes, and import/export status.

Important: AutoCheck data on WheelsAI is a dealer-run check, not a consumer HPI check. The data reflects what the dealer checked at the time of listing. WheelsAI displays the check date on each listing so buyers can assess recency.

Limitation: finance data reflects what is recorded on the Experian database at the point of the check. Recently settled finance (within the last 72 hours) may not yet be reflected. We recommend buyers request a written confirmation of settlement directly from the finance house if the check shows outstanding finance.

Brego — Live Market Valuation

Brego Automotive Intelligence · commercial API

WheelsAI's free valuation tool is powered by Brego, an automotive intelligence platform that aggregates live retail listing data from across the UK market. Brego's model estimates a market range (low/mid/high retail) based on make, model, year, mileage, fuel type, transmission, colour, and trim level.

What the valuation shows: the estimated retail range for a comparable vehicle in comparable condition currently listed in the UK. This is a composite signal — not a single comparable sale, but a model trained on current listings. It is not a guaranteed trade-in or dealer purchase price.

Refresh rate: Brego updates its underlying training data continuously from live listings. Valuations are live API calls — we do not cache them beyond the current session.

Limitation: valuations are less reliable for rare trims, modified vehicles, heavily personalised cars, and vehicles with unusually high mileage for their age. Use the range as a benchmark, not a guarantee.

Companies House — Dealer Verification

Companies House · UK government · Companies Act 2006

Every dealer on WheelsAI is verified against the Companies House register before their first listing goes live. We check: active company status, registered address, trading name, and that the entity is in good standing. VAT registration and trade insurance verification are completed separately as part of the dealer onboarding process.

What this means for buyers: every dealer with a WheelsAI "Verified Dealer" badge is a registered UK legal entity with a confirmed trading address. We do not onboard private sellers.

WheelsAI Inventory Data — Pricing & Market Signals

WheelsAI proprietary data · internal

Price ranges, days-to-sale averages, and regional price comparisons cited in our buying guides are drawn from anonymised aggregate data across active and recently-sold listings on WheelsAI. Individual dealers and buyers are never identified in published figures.

Our Research hub publishes data-led reports based on WheelsAI inventory signals — MOT pass rates by make/model, regional price indices, and days-to-sale trends.