How I Built a UK Vehicle History API: VIN Decoding, MOT Records & Finance Checks

If you've ever needed to verify a used car's history programmatically — MOT records,
finance checks, mileage history — you know how fragmented the data sources are.
I built Drivium to solve exactly this, and I want to share
the technical decisions behind it.

The problem with vehicle data

UK vehicle data lives across multiple official sources:

• DVSA — MOT test history and mileage at each inspection
• DVLA — Registration, technical specs, tax status
• HPI / finance registers — Outstanding finance, stolen records
• Manufacturer databases — Recall campaigns

None of these talk to each other. A used car buyer (or a dealer's CRM) has to hit
4+ different sources to get a full picture.

What the API returns

A single call to the Drivium API returns a unified JSON response:

json
{
  "vin": "WVWZZZ1JZXW000001",
  "plate": "AB12 CDE",
  "mot_history": [
    {
      "test_date": "2023-04-12",
      "result": "PASS",
      "mileage": 43200,
      "expiry_date": "2024-04-11"
    }
  ],
  "finance": {
    "outstanding": false,
    "agreements": []
  },
  "stolen": false,
  "technical": {
    "make": "Volkswagen",
    "model": "Golf",
    "fuel_type": "Petrol",
    "engine_cc": 1390,
    "co2_gkm": 139,
    "euro_standard": "Euro 5"
  },
  "recalls": []
}

A legitimate car won't have a mileage decrease between tests. If you see one, 
the odometer has been tampered with.

## Integrating into a dealer CRM

For dealerships running bulk lookups, the API supports batch requests.

Plans start at 30 checks and scale to unlimited — the CSV export works 
well for import into dealer management systems.

## Clean air zone compliance

With ULEZ and CAZ zones expanding across UK cities, the CO2 and Euro 
standard fields are increasingly important for buyers. A vehicle rated 
Euro 4 or below will face daily charges in most clean air zones. 
The API returns this data directly from DVLA.

## Try it

You can run a free lookup or check the [[full API docs at drivium.net](https://drivium.net/en)].

Reports start at £0.99 for a one-off check. No account needed for single lookups.

Happy to answer questions in the comments — particularly around edge cases 
with cherished plates, SORN vehicles, or pre-2005 MOT records.