Compare vehicle history checks in Australia
Much more than a PPSR check - or any other report.
MotorRegistry checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report, so it's easily the report most likely to uncover a problem that costs you:
- The car repossessed for finance owing, or seized over a stolen record
- Your money on repairs for hidden damage or a neglected engine
- The price you pay for a wound-back odometer or a patchy history
How MotorRegistry compares to the competition
What each provider's report actually includes, side by side.
| Data point | MotorRegistry Comprehensive Plus |
PPSR Certificate alone |
CarHistory | CarFacts | Carify | carVertical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government & legal status | ||||||
| Finance owing / encumbrance (PPSR) check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Official Australian PPSR certificate included | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Written-off vehicle check (WOVR) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stolen vehicle check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Current registration status & expiry | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free 14-day finance re-check & change alerts | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Vehicle facts & valuation | ||||||
| Detailed factory build & specifications | ✓ | Make, model & colour | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Independent market valuation | ✓Australian market data | — | ✓ | Price range, not a valuation | ✓ | Limited local accuracy |
| Expected odometer for the vehicle's age | ✓ | — | — | Market comparison | Market comparison | — |
| Theft risk rating for the make & model | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Common problems for this model | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Customised pre-purchase inspection guide | ✓ | — | — | Generic checklist | — | — |
| Hidden history | ||||||
| Odometer history & rollback detection | ✓Widest coverage | — | Narrower coverage | Past advert readings | Market comparison | Narrower coverage |
| Service & maintenance history | ✓Widest coverage | — | Narrower coverage | — | Very Limited | — |
| Damage records (including non-write-off) | ✓Widest coverage | — | Write-off damage | — | Write-off damage | Narrower coverage |
| Vehicle location history | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Previous registration history | ✓Widest coverage | — | — | — | — | Narrower coverage |
| Past sales & auction listings | ✓ | — | ✓ | Sales listings, no auctions | Japanese imports | — |
| Historic listing photos | ✓ | — | — | — | — | Narrower coverage |
| Safety & recalls | ||||||
| Manufacturer recall check | ✓ | — | — | — | Some recalls | No current data |
| Recall repair / rectification status | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
Based on reports bought from each provider, their sample reports and their public pages, as at October 2026.
- Recalls: the PPSR no longer carries recall data. MotorRegistry collects it directly, including whether the work was done (most makes).
- Coverage: no provider holds every record for every car. MotorRegistry draws on wider, deeper and more frequently updated Australian sources than any other report, so it is the most likely to hold them for yours.
No other report checks as much data about your vehicle. A PPSR certificate alone checks the least.
If there's an issue that could cost you the car, your money or the price you pay, a MotorRegistry report is easily the most likely to uncover it before you buy.
Isn't a PPSR certificate enough?
A PPSR certificate is the legal minimum, and every proper vehicle check starts with one, ours included. But it's a single day's snapshot of a single register.
A standalone PPSR certificate
- Valid for one day. Finance registered after your search won't be on it.
- Raw register output. Working out what a security interest means for your purchase is up to you.
- Write-offs only. Repaired damage that never became a write-off isn't listed.
- No odometer history. Rollbacks pass straight through.
- No service, location or registration history.
- No valuation, model-specific advice or inspection guide.
A MotorRegistry report
- The official PPSR certificate. Nothing missing.
- Finance explained in plain English. See at a glance whether it's a deal-breaker.
- A free 14-day finance re-check. With email alerts, included in Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus.
- Damage records, even without a write-off. A repaired crash still shows up, with the estimated cost of the damage.
- Service and maintenance history. Skipped services, repeat repairs and long logbook gaps, in date order.
- Every odometer reading cross-checked. A wound-back odometer is flagged instead of passing straight through.
- Location and registration history. The plates, states and suburbs that expose a rebirthed vehicle.
- Valuation, common model problems and a custom inspection guide. Know what to look for on the day.
What only a MotorRegistry report adds
Service & maintenance history
Logbook and workshop records wherever they're available, so you can see how the car has been cared for.
Odometer rollback detection
Every recorded reading in date order, with rollbacks flagged automatically.
Non-write-off damage records
Damage assessments even when the car was repaired and never written off.
Location & registration history
Where the car has lived, and every state it has been registered in.
Recall rectification status
Not just whether a recall exists - whether the work was actually done.
Custom guide & valuation
A model-specific inspection checklist plus an independent Australian market valuation.
Three reports. One-off price. No subscription.
Every tier includes the official government PPSR & NEVDIS checks - you'll never get less than a PPSR certificate.
The official PPSR baseline: finance owing, written-off, stolen, registration and recall checks.
Adds valuation, expected odometer, theft risk rating, common model problems and a custom inspection guide.
Adds service history, odometer history, location and registration history, damage records and past listings. The report most likely to find a problem before you buy - offered when Plus records are available for your vehicle.
The cost of not knowing
Write-offs and stolen records are just the start. The expensive problems hide in the service, odometer and damage history that only a MotorRegistry report checks.
Catching one before you buy costs a tiny fraction of what it costs after.
Report & comparison FAQ
Quick answers to the questions buyers ask us most. Got a question we haven't covered? Browse the full FAQ or get in touch.
What is the best car history check in Australia?
The best check is the one most likely to find a problem before you buy, and that is the one that checks the most data: MotorRegistry. A MotorRegistry report checks more data than any other Australian vehicle history report. Every report includes the official PPSR certificate, and Comprehensive Plus adds service history, every odometer reading we can locate, damage assessments on cars that were never written off, location and registration history, recall rectification status and past sales listings, where records exist. MotorRegistry draws on wider, deeper and more frequently updated Australian sources than any other report. In August 2026, nearly 1 in 4 cars that came back clear on the PPSR still had a damage assessment, an odometer rollback or a repair record in their Comprehensive Plus report.
What's the difference between a PPSR check and a MotorRegistry report?
A PPSR check covers finance, written-off, stolen and registration status - the legal essentials. A MotorRegistry report includes the same official PPSR data plus service history, odometer rollback detection, vehicle location, non-write-off damage and claims, recall rectification status, valuation, common model problems and a custom pre-purchase guide. You don't need both - our report includes a PPSR check.
Is a PPSR check from MotorRegistry as good as the government one?
Yes. MotorRegistry searches the Australian Government's Personal Property Securities Register live when you buy your report, and the certificate in your report is the official PPSR search certificate with its own search number. It is the same register search you would run on ppsr.gov.au, explained in plain English and combined with the rest of the vehicle's history.
Why does a MotorRegistry report cost more than the government PPSR search?
The government search only covers what the register holds: finance, write-offs and stolen records. Depending on the report tier and the records that exist, a MotorRegistry report adds odometer history with rollback detection, damage assessments on cars that were never written off, service records, recall repair status, registration and location history, and a valuation. In August 2026, nearly 1 in 4 cars that came back clear on the PPSR still had a damage assessment, an odometer rollback or a repair record in their Comprehensive Plus report.
How do I check that a PPSR certificate is genuine?
Every PPSR search certificate carries a search number. Enter that number at ppsr.gov.au to retrieve the original search results and a copy of the certificate, free of charge. This works for a certificate from MotorRegistry, from the government site, or one a seller gives you.
Can a vehicle report tell me who a loan is with, or how much is owing?
No. The PPSR records that a security interest is registered over a vehicle, but the lender's identity and the amount owing aren't available from the PPSR or anywhere else - no report provider can show them. Where MotorRegistry makes the difference is clarity and follow-up: your report explains the finance result in plain English, and Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus reports include a free 14-day finance re-check that emails you if the vehicle's finance status changes after you buy.
Are MotorRegistry reports an official PPSR check?
Yes. Every MotorRegistry report includes the official PPSR certificate data sourced directly from the Australian Government's Personal Property Securities Register. You're not getting a substitute - you're getting the real PPSR check, plus a great deal more.
What do MotorRegistry reports cost?
We offer three one-off report tiers - Basic, Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus. Every tier is a single payment with no subscription, and you'll see the current price for each tier before you pay. Pricing starts at $24.95. Given the much more extensive checks a MotorRegistry report provides, maybe the better question is 'how much could it save you?'.
How long does it take to get a report?
Most reports are delivered within seconds of purchase, straight to your email and as an easy-to-read web report. Comprehensive Plus reports that pull from additional sources can take a little longer, but the vast majority arrive in under two minutes. If a government outage occurs, we will mark that section of the report pending and update it once we can access the information. You'll get an email to notify you of the update.
Can I upgrade my report after I buy it?
Yes. If you start with a Basic or Comprehensive report and want more detail, you can upgrade at any time and only pay the difference between tiers. You won't pay for the same data twice.
Does MotorRegistry hold records for every vehicle?
While MotorRegistry can confidently say we have the most extensive records and reports of any vehicle history check in Australia, some vehicles just don't have records or have minimal records available. This is especially true of vehicles which are older or which have been unregistered for a long time. But if anyone will have the crucial history you need to know, it will be us.
