CarJam vs MotorWeb vehicle reports

If you are buying a used car with a loan, you are borrowing against something you have not owned yet. A vehicle report is a cheap way to check what is on record before the money moves. This page lays out what CarJam and MotorWeb each say their reports include and cost, as published on their own sites, and links the checks back to finance.

We are a guide, not a lender, and we are not affiliated with either company. We do not rank them. Everything below was checked in November 2026 and can change.

The short answer

Both services sell a report that checks for money owing and for stolen status. MotorWeb’s own page also names inconsistent odometer readings. CarJam’s pricing and home pages describe its NZ full report as covering vehicle information, stolen, history and money owing, but the pages we read do not list odometer readings for the NZ report. They do list odometer history for its Japan report and odometer checks for its USA report.

So the sensible approach is to look at a sample report from each, check which items matter for the car in front of you, and compare the price for the number of reports you will buy. If you are looking at several cars, a pack may suit you. If you are looking at one, a single report may.

At a glance

What CarJam publishes

CarJam’s pricing page lists a casual price, a registered-user price and a CarJam Plus price for each product. For the NZ full report the figures are $13.95 for a casual buyer, $12.95 for a registered user, and $10.95 for a registered user within 14 days or on CarJam Plus. A separate NZ PPSR search is $1.95 casual, $1.85 registered and $1.75 on CarJam Plus. An Australian report covering write-off, stolen and money owing information is $5.95 casual. There is also a business tier priced excluding GST, built from parts such as basic facts and stolen, ownership history and money owing.

The home page says CarJam checks for money owing on current and past plates and on VIN and chassis numbers. It offers a separate ownership check for verifying a seller. For imports, it says you can see the history of the car in Japan and the USA before it arrived in New Zealand. The footer shows copyright by CarJam Online Limited.

What MotorWeb publishes

MotorWeb’s public product is the Vehicle Information Report. Its tour page names three checks that overlap with finance questions: hidden debts or money owing, whether the vehicle has been reported stolen, and inconsistent odometer readings. The page we read does not mention write-offs, imports or plate history, though it may sit elsewhere on the site.

The report pack page says any three reports cost $27.95, described as a saving of $7.90. The reports are issued as electronic vouchers by email, valid for three years from purchase, and not transferable or redeemable for cash. Each voucher is used by searching for the vehicle and redeeming a report. Going only by the arithmetic of that offer, the saving implies about $11.95 a report if bought singly, but we did not see that price on the pages we read, so confirm it on the site.

The footer credits Trade Me Limited, and a Trade Me safety article says its MotorWeb service reports on money owing, stolen status, number of previous owners and whether odometer readings are consistent.

Where finance comes in

If you are borrowing to buy, three of these checks matter more than the rest.

Money owing. The PPSR help centre says buyers of used cars should search the register, preferably before agreeing to buy, to find whether a third party has a financial interest in the vehicle. If a security interest is registered, the car could be repossessed from you. The same page says a registered motor vehicle trader must tell you if there is money owing, so the risk is most acute in a private sale. Trade Me’s article likens a registered security interest to a mortgage over a house.

Odometer. A low reading on a car with a worn interior is a classic warning. It matters for finance because the price you borrow against is set by what the car is supposedly worth.

Stolen. A stolen car can be taken from you even after you have paid, and your loan may stay in place regardless. A stolen check is cheap insurance against that outcome.

None of this means your lender will or will not approve a loan on a car. Lenders decide case by case, and some run their own checks. Ask yours what it checks, and ask whether it wants a copy of any report you hold.

How to choose between them

You do not need to pick a favourite for life. Pick for this purchase.

1. List what you want to see. Money owing and stolen are on both. Odometer, write-off and overseas history are where they differ on the pages we read.
2. Open a sample report from each. MotorWeb links an example VIR from its site. Compare the layout and what is covered.
3. Count your reports. One car, one report. Three cars on your shortlist, check the pack and the registered-user price.
4. Check the registration plate and VIN match the car in front of you, whichever service you use.
5. Read the terms on the voucher or account before you pay, including any expiry.

A worked example

This is an illustration with round numbers, not a quote. You are buying a $9,000 used hatchback in a private sale and borrowing most of it.

You spend about $14 on a report and it shows money owing, so you ask the seller to settle the debt before you pay. If you skip the report and the debt is real, the lender’s claim could mean the car is taken and you are left with both the loan and no car. A $14 report against a $9,000 purchase is about 0.16% of the price.

Now suppose you shop three cars and buy three MotorWeb reports as a pack at $27.95. Compare that with three CarJam reports at, say, $12.95 each for a registered user, which is $38.85. Those totals are a snapshot. Prices, packs and offers change, so redo the sum on the day.

Step by step

1. Get the plate number and VIN from the seller, and check they match the car and its paperwork.
2. Run a money owing check before you hand over a deposit.
3. Look at the stolen and odometer lines on your chosen report.
4. Ask the seller about any item that looks odd, in writing.
5. Book an independent inspection. A report is not a mechanical check.
6. Tell your lender what you found, and ask whether it carries out its own check.
7. Compare finance offers using our best way to finance a car page, and read bank loan vs dealer finance if you are buying from a yard. For help comparing loans, the /check form passes your details to a broker partner, who compares lenders for you and calls you back.

Checklist

• You have the VIN and plate from the seller.
• A money owing check has been run on the car.
• You have read the stolen and odometer lines.
• You have compared the report price for the number you will buy.
• You have booked an inspection.
• You know what your lender checks.

Red flags

• A seller who will not give you the plate or VIN.
• A seller who says they will “clear the debt later”.
• A report in the seller’s hands that you did not run yourself.
• Odometer readings that go backwards or jump.
• A price well below what similar cars list for.
• Pressure to hand over a deposit before checks are done.

Sources

• CarJam: pricing, checked November 2026
• CarJam: home page, checked November 2026
• MotorWeb: home page, checked November 2026
• MotorWeb: what is in a report, checked November 2026
• MotorWeb: report pack, checked November 2026
• PPSR: how the PPSR can help when buying used goods
• Trade Me: check for money owing before you buy that car