Yes — but expect a lower asking price and more buyer scepticism. The best fix is to recover the digital record from the manufacturer's central system before listing. Most cars serviced at UK franchised dealers from 2012 onwards have recoverable records by registration alone.

Trade and private buyers typically discount cars without history by 10–25%. On a £12,000 used car that's £1,200–£3,000 off the asking price. Recovering the digital record (and including a printed report with the sale) usually claws most of that back.

Manufacturer records only cover work done at UK franchised dealers. If the car was serviced at independent garages, those won't appear. MOT history (which we include in every report) covers any garage that performed an MOT — so there's still useful documentation to share with buyers.

AutoTrader, eBay Motors, and Facebook Marketplace all accept listings without a service history field filled in — but their search filters often surface cars with full history first. Adding even a partial digital report makes the listing more competitive.

If we find no manufacturer records, your card is not charged. You'll still have your MOT history report (which is free to access via gov.uk) to include with the sale. Be upfront with buyers about the gap and price the car accordingly — most buyers respect honesty more than a thin paper trail.