Vehicle plate checks

Before you buy your car, you should check the build and compliance dates. These dates are found on the plates fitted to your car.

The build date is:

  • when the car was manufactured
  • used to value a car when you resell it.

The compliance date is when the car:

  • met the Australian safety standards
  • became legal to drive in Australia.

The compliance date is not always the same as the build date, mainly on imported cars. Make sure the advertised year model of the car matches the build date.

If you buy a car based on its compliance date, rather than build date, its resale value could be much less than expected.

Other checks

You should also do other checks before buying. Refer to: