Registration number does not exist in database?

[TonyRPH]

I was wondering about one of my previous cars today, so I went to the excellent Free Car Check website.

However..



So I went to a couple of HPI checking sites but got a message back stating that the vehicle registration was not found.

I presume this means it's been written off / scrapped, or the registration number has been changed? (although with the HPI reporting 'not found' for the reg number this is unlikely surely? - It wasn't a cherished plate)

Free Car Check comes back with the correct details, but the DVLA states the vehicle does not exist.

I don't suppose there's any easy way to find out if the car has been scrapped?

[veevee]

what about if the plate was changed to a cherished plate?

[TonyRPH]

veevee said:

what about if the plate was changed to a cherished plate?

That's a possibility, but the car was a bit of a rough(ish) example of an A4.

Although I guess that wouldn't stop an enthusiast from putting a cherished plate on it.

[M4cruiser]

I just checked the DVLA site for a car I was interested in, but it came back not known. But it is on "Free car check" (thanks for the link, I didn't know about that site).

The reason (I guess) is that this car is on a private reg plate, and the plate is going to that owner's new car. So that plate isn't on the DVLA at the moment for either car. Eventually the old car will be on there with a replacement reg plate.

There are a few odd situations like this where the car may apparently not exist on the DVLA.

The best way to really sort it is to pay for an HPI check, but not really needed is it's just for interest!