Buying guide

PPSR Check: What It Covers and What It Doesn't

Last updated 11 November 2026

A PPSR check covers the three things that can cost you the car itself: money owing on it, whether it's been reported stolen, and whether it's been written off. It doesn't tell you what condition the car is in, whether it's been in an accident that wasn't a write-off, or whether the odometer is genuine. That's what the inspection is for.

What the PPSR Check Covers

A PPSR check is a search of the Personal Property Securities Register, the Australian Government register of security interests, by the car's VIN. You search it on ppsr.gov.au for $2, and the search certificate is your legal record of what the register showed on the day.

What it shows	What that means for you
Money owing	Whether a lender has registered a security interest over the car, usually 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.
Reported stolen	Whether police have recorded the car as stolen. A stolen car can be taken back from you, and you lose what you paid.
Written off	Whether the car has been recorded as written off, for example after a crash, flood, hail or fire. A statutory write-off can never be registered again. See is it safe to buy a repaired write-off?
Vehicle details	The make, model and colour, and the registration number and expiry, recorded against the VIN. Check they match the car in front of you and the listing.

What a PPSR Check Doesn't Cover

The register is about who has a claim on the car and what's been officially recorded against it, not the car itself. The PPSR itself says a search doesn't show the amount of finance owing, the owner or ownership history, the odometer reading or outstanding fines, and that the stolen and written-off details from the road agencies aren't always available or up to date (PPSR). The rest is up to you:

What it misses	Why the register can't show it	How to check it
Mechanical condition	The register records claims on the car, not its condition.	Inspect the car with a used car inspection checklist, starting with the engine cold, and take a proper test drive.
Crash repairs	Only write-offs are recorded. A car repaired after a crash, insured or not, has a clean record.	Look for uneven panel gaps, mismatched paint and overspray on rubber seals, and fresh welds or new underbody coating in one spot.
Flood and hail damage	Only recorded if the car was written off. Many damaged cars are repaired instead.	Lift the carpets and the boot floor for damp, silt or rust, sniff for a musty smell, and look along the roof and bonnet at a low angle to the light. See how to spot a flood-damaged car.
The odometer	No odometer reading is recorded on the PPSR.	Compare the kilometres with the service history and the wear on the steering wheel, pedals and driver's seat. See high kms or a wound-back odometer.
Outstanding recalls	Recalls aren't recorded on the PPSR.	Search the vehicle recalls site by make and model, and ask the seller for proof the recall work was done. See vehicle checks before buying.
Service history	Servicing isn't recorded on any government register.	Ask for the logbook and receipts, and check the stamps are on time and match the kilometres.
Faults common to the model	The register knows nothing about how a model tends to fail.	Use the checklist for that model, which explains its commonly reported problems. See the inspection checklists.

A Clear PPSR Isn't a Clean Car

A clear search means nobody else has a claim on the car and it hasn't been officially written off or reported stolen. It says nothing about whether the gearbox is on its way out, the car has had a cheap crash repair, or the kilometres are real. Plenty of cars with expensive problems come back clear.

So treat the PPSR as the first check, not the last. Once the car is clear, inspect it properly: work through a checklist yourself at every viewing, covering what a pre-purchase car inspection checks. Anything the inspection turns up is also what you negotiate with.

How and When to Run 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 fee, and keep the certificate. Our free VIN check shows what the car should be, to compare with the listing.

Run one search before you travel to see the car, so you don't waste a trip on one with money owing, and another on the day you pay, because finance can be registered against a car at any time. A seller who won't share the VIN is a red flag on its own.

Inspect the Car Next

Once the PPSR comes back clear, the inspection is the next step. Start with the used car inspection checklist, or the checklist for the model you're looking at: Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Kia Cerato, or any other model. Each explains the commonly reported problems on that model, what to look for at the viewing and when to walk away.

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, so the search and the inspection happen together.

Questions Answered

How do I check if a car still has finance?

Search the car's VIN on ppsr.gov.au. If the certificate lists a security interest, a lender still has a claim on the car, usually an unpaid loan or lease, and could repossess it after you buy. Don't pay until the seller has the loan paid out and the lender has removed its interest, and search again on the day you pay, because finance can be registered at any time.

What doesn't a PPSR check tell you?

A PPSR check doesn't tell you the car's condition, crash repairs that didn't make it a write-off, the odometer reading, the ownership history, how much finance is owing, whether recalls have been done or whether it's been serviced. Check those with an inspection, the service history and the vehicle recalls site.

Is a clear PPSR enough to buy a used car?

No. A clear PPSR means there's no money owing and the car hasn't been recorded as stolen or written off, but it says nothing about its mechanical condition. Inspect it with a used car inspection checklist and take a proper test drive before you pay.

Does a PPSR check show accident history?

Only if the car was written off. A car that's been in an accident and repaired, through insurance or privately, won't show on the PPSR, so look for signs of crash repair yourself: uneven panel gaps, mismatched paint, overspray and fresh welds.

Does a PPSR check show the odometer reading?

No. The PPSR doesn't record odometer readings (PPSR). Check the kilometres against the service history and the wear on the steering wheel, pedals and driver's seat.

How much does a PPSR check cost?

A small fee per search on ppsr.gov.au. You need the car's VIN, and you get a search certificate to keep as a record.