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AA car check vs RAC car check
Two of the biggest names in British motoring sell a vehicle history check, and both are powered by the same provider. That makes this a comparison of packaging and price rather than of data, which is a much easier question to answer than it first looks.
Quick verdict
- AA: one full check, one price, nothing to work out.
- RAC: three tiers, and the cheapest one leaves out most of what you are checking for.
- Either way: read what the tier includes before you read the price.
Run a full car history check for £15 →
What the AA sells
The AA offers a single comprehensive vehicle history check at £14.99, with a multi-check option working out at £6 per vehicle when you buy five. The report is backed by a guarantee of up to £30,000 against inaccuracies, which is the HPI guarantee: the AA check is fulfilled through a white-labelled HPI service rather than a separate database of the AA's own.
The appeal is the simplicity. There is one product, it includes the things people buy a check for, and you are not being asked to work out which tier hides the finance data.
What the RAC sells
The RAC Car Data Check comes in three tiers: Basic at £9.98, Full at £14.99 and Multi at £29.97, with the Multi option flagged as most popular. It is also powered by HPI, carries an up to £30,000 data guarantee valid for two years from the date of the check, and adds RAC Shop vouchers on the higher tiers.
The tier structure is where the care is needed. On the RAC's own comparison the Basic Check covers stolen, insurance write-off, imported and exported and outstanding debt flags, but excludes finance detail, mileage discrepancies, MOT history, previous owners and the data guarantee. That is a lot of the reason people run a check in the first place.
One thing neither guarantee covers is safety recall data, which the RAC states explicitly. Outstanding recalls are checked free on the DVSA service instead.
Price and tier comparison
| Provider | Full report | Cheaper tier | Multi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpeep | £15 | None. There is only one report. | None |
| AA | £14.99 | None | 5 checks, £6 each |
| RAC | £14.99 | Basic £9.98, no finance detail, mileage, MOT history, keepers or guarantee | £29.97 |
AA and RAC prices read from their own live pages on 3 September 2026. Prices and tier contents change, so check before you buy.
Which one should you use?
If you are checking one car and you want the complete picture, the two full reports are priced within pennies of each other and draw on the same data, so pick on whichever brand you already deal with. If you are checking several cars in a weekend, the AA multi-check works out cheaper per vehicle than the RAC equivalent.
The mistake to avoid is buying the cheapest line on the page. A basic tier that excludes finance detail, mileage discrepancies and previous keepers is not a cheap full check. It is a different product.
Where Carpeep fits
Carpeep sells one report at £15 and there is no cheaper tier to be talked out of. Every check includes outstanding finance, insurance write-off markers, stolen markers, the mileage recorded at every MOT, full MOT history, keeper history, plate and colour changes, import and export markers and scrapped status, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee, with no account to create.
What the AA and the RAC have that Carpeep does not is a household name and a wider motoring business behind it. If you already hold breakdown cover with either and value keeping things in one place, that is a fair reason to use them.
Get a Full Car History Check
No signup • £30k data guarantee
Before you transfer thousands for a used car, see the risks clearly – finance, write-off history, theft and mileage – in a single UK-focused report.
- Outstanding finance and agreement type, so you don’t accidentally buy a car the lender still owns
- Write-off categories and serious damage history that can affect safety and resale value
- Police theft records and scrapped status checks
- MOT history and mileage analysis to highlight potential clocking or long gaps off the road
Frequently asked questions
Is the AA car check better than the RAC car check?
They draw on the same underlying provenance data, so the difference is packaging and price rather than what the databases hold. The RAC splits its product into three tiers, with the cheapest one excluding finance, mileage, MOT history and previous keepers. The AA sells a single full check, which is simpler if you only want one report.
Do the AA and RAC use the same car check data?
Both are powered by HPI. The AA check is fulfilled through a white-labelled HPI service, and the RAC states that its check is powered by HPI. That is why the two reports look so similar: the branding differs more than the data does.
Does the RAC basic check include finance?
No. On the RAC's own comparison the Basic Check covers stolen, insurance write-off, imported and exported and outstanding debt flags, but excludes finance detail, mileage discrepancies, MOT history, previous owners and the data guarantee.
Do either cover safety recalls?
The RAC states that safety recall data is not covered by its guarantee. Outstanding recalls are checked free on the DVSA vehicle recall service using the registration or VIN, and no paid history check is needed for that.
Is there a cheaper alternative to both?
Carpeep sells one full report at a flat £15 with no tiers and no paid upgrades, covering finance, write-off markers, stolen markers, mileage from every MOT, MOT history, keeper history, plate and colour changes, import and export markers and scrapped status, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. See the cheapest car history check comparison for the wider market.