Vehicle Smart - Car Check

12/10/2026

🏍️ 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀?

It's been nearly nine years since James last rode a motorcycle, but it looks like he might be getting the itch again!

Having been slowly persuaded by Frank from our team, who bought himself a bike last summer, James finally took the plunge and went for a test ride on a Triumph Scrambler 900.

No purchase just yet, but with another bike viewing lined up, it might only be a matter of time!

𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲?

06/10/2026

We spent a day at the Emergency Services Show last month and there was plenty that caught our attention.

We caught up with the Police Digital Service team to learn more about 𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗦 (𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲), the new system replacing the Police National Computer. Particularly interesting for us given the role police data plays in the stolen vehicle markers you see in Vehicle Smart.

We also spoke with 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 about what happens to the thousands of emergency service vehicles replaced each year, including how they’re disposed of and the vehicle history that can follow them into private ownership.

And, of course, there was plenty of impressive tech to see, from the latest police vehicles and specialist equipment to 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜.

With AI becoming a bigger part of what we do ourselves, it was fascinating to see how some of the same technology we’re exploring is being put to use across the emergency services.

01/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁

#𝟭𝟯 𝗣𝗲𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘁 𝟰𝟬𝟲 𝗟𝗫 𝗧𝗗 (𝗠𝗞 𝗜)

I can’t remember the precise reason I ditched the 328i Sport for this French money saver, but saving money was the theme.

I had officially entered my bangernomics era, buy for a grand or less, run it for 6 to 12 months, move on before anything got too expensive or sentimental.

I paid £595 and it did exactly what it said on the tin, cheap, sturdy, and ready to soak up miles. I bought it on 180,000-ish miles and suspected it was an ex taxi — these were minicab royalty back in the day!

Being a diesel, I did my homework and discovered it would run on vegetable oil.

As luck had it, Rye Bio Fuels were nearby, turning chip fat into liquid gold at about 73p a litre from the single fuel pump on their site. In 2008, diesel was roughly 120p, so I was quids in and smelling faintly of Friday night.

I couldn’t find any photos of my 406 sadly, just a bunch of receipts, original sales invoice, the tax disc (remember those?) and a service.

I messaged a friend who I sold it to and he unearthed a Google Street View snap of it parked outside his parents’ chippy in Devon, proof of life, and a fitting backdrop given the fuel source!

I had sold it to him for £180 and it did not last much longer, about three months, before the turbo threw in the towel and the clutch joined in soon after.

The last MOT in January 2008 showed 182,179 miles. After that, I am pretty sure it was scrapped. A short chapter, but a very thrifty one.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘆?

28/09/2026

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗻? 🔍

A logbook loan is secured against a vehicle. That means even if the car is being sold to you, a lender may still have a financial interest in it.

If the loan hasn’t been settled, it could leave you with a serious problem after buying the car — including the risk of the vehicle being repossessed.

That’s why our Advanced Vehicle History Checks include a Logbook Loan Check, helping you spot potential financial interests before you buy.

🚗 Run a Vehicle History Check with Vehicle Smart.

24/09/2026

⭐ 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.

It’s always great to see reviews like this from people using Vehicle Smart out in the real world.

Whether you’re checking the history of a used car, keeping on top of the vehicles you already own, or simply trying to find cheaper fuel nearby, we want Vehicle Smart to make life as a driver that little bit easier.

Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to leave us a review — all 𝟭𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂! 💚

📱 Vehicle Smart is available free on iOS and Android.

Download here - https://onelink.to/vehiclesmart

07/09/2026

September is here, which means the new 7️⃣6️⃣ registration plate has officially arrived.

Anyone registering a brand-new vehicle from this month will receive the new 76 age identifier and plate-change season can have a knock-on effect on the used-car market too.

More new-car registrations often mean more part exchanges arriving on forecourts, potentially giving used-car buyers a little more choice over the coming weeks.

If you’re thinking about changing your car, it could be a good time to keep an eye on what starts appearing. And, as always, if you’re buying used, make sure you check its history properly before handing over any money. 🚗🔎

One video doing the rounds in our office is also a useful reminder for anyone collecting a new car…

A brand-new £80,000+ Volvo, supplied by an official dealership, had its number plates fitted using self-tapping screws straight into the bodywork rather than the manufacturer’s mounting points. 😬

It’s a small detail, but definitely one worth checking before you drive away with the keys.

25/08/2026

Should we add a water depth check feature?

25/08/2026

🛞 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘆𝗿𝗲𝘀?

Most drivers know to check their tyre pressure and tread depth — but tyre age is easy to overlook.

Every tyre has a four-digit date code on the sidewall showing the week and year it was manufactured. For example, 2422 means the tyre was made in the 24th week of 2022.

Our new 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸, available in the Vehicle Smart Driver Toolkit, helps you decode it in seconds.

You can also use it to:

✅ Decode your tyre size
✅ Understand sidewall markings
✅ Check tread depth with the 20p test
✅ Convert tyre pressures between PSI, Bar and kPa
✅ Find replacement tyres when it’s time for a change

Tyres don’t have a simple expiry date, but the rubber can deteriorate as it ages — even when there’s plenty of tread left.

Open 𝗩𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 → 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 → 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 and see how old yours really are. 👀

20/08/2026

Someone’s spotted 𝗩𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗱 & 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 👀📺

Apparently, our app made a surprise appearance in one of the episodes. Fame at last.

The only problem… we have no idea which episode it was.

If you’ve seen Vehicle Smart pop up on 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗱 & 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱, let us know in the comments so we can track it down.

We’ve also been spotted on 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘀 in the past, and we regularly get some brilliant support from members of the emergency services who use Vehicle Smart out in the real world.

At this rate, we’re going to need our own IMDb page.

Great to see Vehicle Smart helping officers on the front line as fe...

03/08/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁

#𝟭𝟮 𝗕𝗠𝗪 𝗘𝟯𝟲 𝟯𝟮𝟴𝗶 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

After selling the E30 325i saloon, I spent six months without a car, walking to and from work while I saved for my first property, a 1-bed flat in sunny St Leonards on Sea. As soon as I had a step on the property ladder and I knew where I stood financially, the itch for some new wheels returned. I went back to BMW for the fourth time and landed on a 328i Sport Coupé, which had all the looks of the pinnacle of the 3 series, the M3, without the hefty / / / M tax.

It was a cracking car. Clean for its age, drove beautifully, and never gave me any serious grief. From memory, I bought it somewhere around Berkshire from a well to do gent, and the file of paperwork was reassuringly thick with full service history.

I did a bit of spannering myself. The most memorable moment was changing the cabin pollen filter. I pulled it out and half a tree dropped into the driver’s footwell. The date stamp on the filter was 1998, the year the car was built. Despite all those main dealer stamps, that filter looked untouched. It was my first real lesson in how service history can hide a few shortcuts, and why a good independent can sometimes be the better bet. I also started to understand how the quality of servicing can affect a car’s value, not just how many stamps are in the book.

The only faults I had were minor and very BMW. The interior blower stopped working, which was the usual hedgehog resistor. Then the climate control panel died, which turned out to be a small resistor fix. Both were sorted for very little money thanks to the BMW owner forums.

2008 was also the year when I tumbled into photography: I bought a Canon EOS 40D and somehow ended up freelancing for the local paper - the Hastings Observer. Turns out if you hold a big camera with confidence, people assume you know what you’re doing.

I kept it a little over two years and enjoyed every mile. I eventually swapped the German straight six for something French, but the E36 328i Sport still ranks among my favourites. Looking to the tax and MOT data, it is still on the road with more than 207,000 miles however the latest MOT shows an odometer reading of zero, which likely points to a failed instrument cluster or a replacement unit rather than anything more dramatic.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲?