Customer information
How we use vehicle data
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Every Car Assistant result should make it clear what was returned, what it may mean and what remains unknown.
Information supplied by the named or described source for the vehicle and check requested.
A plain-English explanation or next step based on the returned facts, their context and the limits of the check.
Information that was unavailable, outside the selected coverage or not matched. It is not presented as a clear result.
Sources and timing
Depending on the check selected and available coverage, information may come from official UK vehicle services, licensed automotive datasets, industry records and manufacturer information. Reports should show a check time and source attribution where this is supplied or required.
Coverage is not the same as absence
“No record reported” is only meaningful for the dataset that was actually checked. If a result was not returned, unsupported or temporarily unavailable, Car Assistant labels it as unknown rather than implying that no issue exists.
How recommendations are produced
Recommendations are practical decision support. They explain which finding prompted an action and prioritise document checks, direct confirmation, inspection or specialist help according to the reported risk. They do not automatically label a seller or vehicle as fraudulent, unsafe or worthless.
Corrections and changing records
Vehicle information can change after finance is settled, a recall is completed or an official record is corrected. A historic report remains a record of what was returned at its check time. Where a material point has changed, obtain evidence and run a new check rather than editing the old result.
Commercial independence
Car Assistant is designed to work with more than one suitable data source. Public guidance and report language are based on the information returned and its coverage, rather than assuming that one supplier is definitive for every type of check.