Buying guide
What Is a PPSR Check?
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A PPSR check is a search of the Personal Property Securities Register, the Australian Government register that shows whether a vehicle has money owing on it, and whether it's been reported stolen or written off. A search costs $2 on ppsr.gov.au and needs the car's VIN. Run it on the day you pay, because finance can be registered against a car at any time.
What a PPSR Check Tells You
The search certificate shows whether anyone has registered a security interest over the car, which usually means a car loan or lease that hasn't been paid off. If there is one, the lender may be able to repossess the car even after you've bought it.
It also shows whether the car has been reported stolen or recorded as written off, along with vehicle details you can compare with the car in front of you.
How to Do a PPSR Check
Get the VIN (vehicle identification number) from the seller before you go, and check it matches the VIN plate on the car and the rego papers. Search it on ppsr.gov.au, pay the $2 fee, and keep the certificate as a record of what the register showed on the day you bought.
A seller who won't share the VIN is a red flag on its own.
What a PPSR Check Doesn't Tell You
It won't tell you the car's mechanical condition, whether it's had crash repairs that didn't make it a write-off, whether the odometer reading is genuine, or whether safety recalls have been fixed. Check recalls on the government's vehicle recalls site, and inspect the car yourself with a used car inspection checklist or have a mechanic do it.
Running a PPSR Check in Shufti
Shufti, the used car inspection app, runs the PPSR check for you as part of every vehicle check, along with a check of the government recall database and an inspection checklist for that exact make, model and year.
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