What is an Ex-Taxi Check?
If you’re contemplating purchasing an ex-taxi or looking to avoid a vehicle with a taxi history, it’s crucial you do your homework before handing over any money. So, what is an ex-taxi check and how does it help with your next car purchase? Motorscan’s all-encompassing guide delves into the answers, including why it’s crucial to perform a car history check, explaining how to detect if a car was previously used as a taxi, and outlines the risks you should be mindful of before making a purchase.
One of the primary concerns for any prospective buyer searching for their next car is ensuring that their purchased vehicle is safe, reliable and free from any hidden defects and surprises. Consequently, this concern becomes amplified when the car in question has served a previous life as a taxi or private hire vehicle. Indeed, these types of cars often see heavy use and may have been subject to excessive wear and tear, making it vital for buyers to conduct thorough research before purchasing. With this in mind, Motorscan has been exploring what an ex-taxi check is and the importance of carrying out your homework before parting with your money, so you can be in the know, ready to weigh potential risks!
An ex-taxi, also known as a retired taxi, is a vehicle previously used as a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle in the transportation industry. These vehicles are typically well-maintained, having undergone regular maintenance and servicing to ensure they meet the standards required under licencing regulations. However, they may also have experienced higher levels of wear and tear due to their usage as commercial hire vehicles, potentially impacting their reliability and resale value.
The only surefire way to determine if a vehicle is ex-taxi is to perform an ex-taxi check, otherwise known as a vehicle history check. With Motorscan’s premium car check, you can discover 85+ data points, including learning whether the car you’ve fallen in love with ever spent time as an ex-taxi or other commercial vehicles such as ex-police, ex-fire or fast response vehicle, Uber, private hire and more. Discovering this valuable information is all thanks to our partnership with Vehicle Ancestry. They hold 5.5 million records, making finding any vehicle’s past lives super quick and easy. In addition, if a car did spend time as a taxi, you can check the MOT records to ensure it had the required two MOTs a year to maintain safety. You can also explore the mileage history and condition of the car, all to help you understand what you might be buying.
There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to purchasing a vehicle previously used as a taxi or private hire vehicle. If you’re looking for a reliable, low-cost vehicle, an ex-taxi could be a good option. However, if you’re looking for a car with minimal previous drivers and a clean history, you may prefer to look at privately run vehicles, depending on your circumstances and needs. Some advantages of buying an ex-taxi include the following:
Generally, purchasing an ex-taxi can be beneficial for individuals who understand the associated risks and comprehend the vehicle’s past. Some of those risks prospective buyers should take into account when considering an ex-taxi include the following:
By law, if the vehicle’s seller is aware of the car’s past as a taxi, they are obliged to tell you, so always ask the question. But, of course, if they are unaware of the car’s dalliance with taxiing, there is no recourse if you later find out it was an ex-taxi.
