DVLA start showing lost vehicles

October 18, 2023, 09:11:12 AM

Something odd has just happened.

Previously when entering an old reg on DVLA vehicle check, it would of shown no results. It just would not recognise the reg at all and wouldn't find anything about the vehicle.

I was going with the theory that this would usually indicate the vehicle has been scrapped, and most likely this was done before DVLA went digital which was early 2000s.

In my history, there are a number of vehicles that I'm fairly certain were scrapped, and most likely before 2000. In which case I think it was fair to assume, that DVLA believed there was no point in them entering the paper details onto the computer system - makes sense right?

Well, randomly, off the back of looking for another vehicle, I tried some of these old registrations and the details are now shown.

It can now find the details; make, model, colour etc.

Of the 3 vehicles I tested:
2 showed Untaxed: Tax due. dates were 1 June 2000 and 1 December 1992
1 showed SORN, sorn gives no date.

SORN was introduced in 1998

All 3 showed MOT: no results returned

MOT went digital in 2005, This makes sense there are no details as they were all off the road before this happened.

Another update to the DVLA details is that it now shows the date of last v5 issue.

For my 3 vehicles, I've got 22 May 1990, 8 September 1998, 22 December 1999.

Now looking at the May 1990 one and checking the dates, this was my purchase of the car. I used it for a couple of years hence the last tax date of December 1992. I sold it on, and back then I think it was the new buyer who sent off the v5 so it looks like that never happened. So I guess it's likely it ended up as a parts car.

I can't be sure of the other dates, but they appear to be not long after I would have let the vehicles go.

I just thought this was all very interesting and can help give a picture of a car long gone, whereas before there was just no data.

Re: DVLA start showing lost vehicles

Reply #1 – October 18, 2023, 09:40:45 AM

Bit more info.

Some vehicles are still not found. So assume this update of aged information is ongoing. I guess it'll take a while.

There's also a reg I know for certain, where the car has been exported to Australia.
This just gives a last v5 date, expired MOT and SORN notice but no indication that the vehicle has left the country. So for anyone looking for an old car, don't forget this is always a possibility.

Re: DVLA start showing lost vehicles

Reply #2 – October 20, 2023, 07:25:24 AM

In work I do have access to car scrapped through the DVLA, as you said they only went digital in 2000’s, but I wonder if through the back door there logged.