Do a new or used car search

Buying a new or used car or vehicle comes with risk – doing a car search, for example, on the PPSR can help you check if the car you’re buying is recorded as free from debt. It may also tell you if the car is recorded as stolen or written off.

What a PPSR search tells you

A PPSR search tells you important things you need to know to help avoid risks involved in buying a used car. This is especially important if you buy from a private seller and not a licensed car dealer.

When you do a PPSR search, it will tell you if the car you’re about to buy has a security interest recorded against it. A security interest means the car could have money owing on it and could be repossessed from you even though you’ve paid for it.

A PPSR search usually also includes information recorded against the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number you are searching on, such as:

Make, model and colour
Stolen status
Written off status

You’ll also get a search certificate which you can use as a legal record of your results.

What a PPSR search doesn’t tell you

A PPSR search doesn’t provide all information about a vehicle and its history. Information not available in a PPSR search includes:

The amount of finance owing on the vehicle
The vehicle owner or history of ownership
Odometer reading
Outstanding fines

Other types of vehicles you can search for

Motorbikes
Caravans, campervans and camper trailers
Horse floats, trailers and boat trailers
Buses, trucks, forklifts, tractors and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)

What you need to do a search

To do a PPSR search, you need:

A credit or debit card
The car’s serial number (VIN or chassis number).

Where to find the VIN or chassis number

Most cars built after 1989 will have a VIN which has 17 characters.
Most cars built before 1989 will have a chassis number.
You’ll normally find the VIN or chassis somewhere on the body of the car or:

Under the bonnet or in the engine bay
At the bottom of the windscreen (inside)
Inside the door closure area on the driver’s side
On the road registration papers.

VINs and chassis are a mix of numbers and letters.

When to search

You should do a PPSR search on the day or the day before you intend to buy a car – the closer you search to the time of purchase the better. This means you’ll get the most up-to-date information and you’ll be further protecting yourself from the risk of reposs ession.

How a PPSR search protects you

Getting the most up-to-date information is important as it offers you increased protection against the car being repossessed. If you do your search the day you buy a car or the day before, and the search certificate shows that the car had no security interest registered, it can help protect you if someone claims an interest in the car later.

If you buy a car from a licenced motor vehicle dealer you are generally protected from repossession, even if a security interest was registered against the car when you bought it. You may also be protected under the laws of your state or territory. Even though you are protected when buying from a dealer, you may want to do a PPSR search anyway.

Other useful checks you could do

Mechanical check

Ask the roadside assistance or motor traders’ association in your state or territory to recommend a vehicle inspector.

Ask the inspector to check that:

The car’s serial number hasn’t been altered
The records of odometer readings in the car’s service manual are correct and consistent and
The car is in good condition.

Road registration check

Many state and territory road transport authorities offer online registration checks using the car’s registration plate number. This can give you the car’s registration expiry date as well as details of the vehicle’s make and model.

Before buying the car, you can also ask the seller for a copy the road registration papers. This should tell you who the registered operator is and the registration plate number and VIN. You can then check if they match those details on the PPSR search certificate.