73 Auto FAQ

73 Auto is an AI-powered Total Cost of Ownership platform for UK vehicles. It helps drivers understand the real cost of owning, comparing and running a vehicle before they buy, finance or commit.

73 Auto turns a UK vehicle registration number into a clear ownership cost report. The report can include vehicle identity, technical data, MOT signals, road tax, mileage signals, depreciation estimates, insurance estimates, fuel or energy costs, finance inputs, servicing, repairs, tyres, roadside assistance and urban driving costs.

73 Auto is built for car buyers, current owners, comparison shoppers, dealers, traders and automotive businesses that want to understand the real cost of owning a UK vehicle.

No. 73 Auto is not a traditional car marketplace. It is a vehicle cost intelligence platform that helps users understand whether a car may be cheap, expensive or risky to own.

73 Auto does not currently present itself as a direct car seller. The product is focused on TCO reports, vehicle comparison, saved calculations, PDF exports and business tools.

No. 73 Auto is designed to make complex car ownership costs easier to understand for normal drivers, while still giving useful data to dealers and automotive professionals.

Listing websites mostly help users find cars and compare asking prices. 73 Auto helps users understand what those cars may cost to own, run, finance, maintain and compare over time.

Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO, is the full estimated cost of owning a vehicle over time. It includes more than the purchase price or monthly payment, such as depreciation, insurance, tax, fuel or energy, servicing, repairs, tyres, finance and other running costs.

A car can look affordable at the point of purchase but become expensive over the ownership period. TCO helps users see the real financial picture before they buy or compare vehicles.

A monthly payment only shows one part of the cost. It may hide depreciation, insurance, servicing, tax, fuel, finance interest and the value lost when the car is later sold.

A 73 Auto report can include depreciation, urban costs, fuel or energy, insurance, Service & MOT, maintenance and repairs, VED, tyres, roadside assistance and finance or leasing inputs.

Yes. 73 Auto can show Total Cost of Ownership by month, by year and across the selected ownership period.

Yes. Users can adjust assumptions such as annual mileage, postcode, driving style, payment type, usage pattern, insurance details, finance terms, service preference and fuel price override.

The monthly payment trap is when buyers judge a car mainly by the monthly payment instead of the full cost of ownership. 73 Auto helps reveal the costs that sit behind the monthly number.

Yes. Two cars can have similar monthly payments but very different depreciation, insurance, tax, fuel, servicing or finance costs. 73 Auto is built to make those differences visible.

73 Auto can show vehicle identity, make, model, year, registration background, colour, engine data, fuel type, CO2 emissions, Euro status, type approval, wheelplan and other technical information where available.

Yes. 73 Auto uses official UK vehicle records, including DVLA and DVSA data where available. Business plans also reference full DVLA and DVSA data.

Yes. 73 Auto can show road tax status, tax due date, days until tax is due, VED estimates and related legal status information.

Yes. 73 Auto can show MOT status, MOT expiry date, last MOT test date, total MOT tests, passed MOTs, failed MOTs, MOT test history and MOT-based condition signals where data is available.

Condition signals are MOT-based indicators that help users understand potential vehicle condition patterns. They are indicators only and are not guarantees of the vehicle condition.

Risk flags are potential warning signals generated from official records. They may highlight issues such as expired MOT status or unavailable MOT history and should be verified before purchase.

No. 73 Auto does not replace a physical inspection, mechanic review or professional vehicle check. It helps highlight cost and data signals, but users should verify critical decisions independently.

73 Auto should not be treated as a stolen vehicle check or outstanding finance check unless a dedicated feature says otherwise. Users should use specialist checks for those risks before buying a vehicle.

Yes. 73 Auto includes depreciation as part of the Total Cost of Ownership breakdown.

No. 73 Auto does not guarantee future resale value. It provides depreciation estimates and ownership cost projections that help users understand how much value a vehicle may lose over time.

73 Auto focuses on depreciation and ownership cost estimates rather than guaranteeing a specific future resale price. Users can use depreciation figures to better understand possible value loss.

Depreciation is often one of the largest hidden costs of owning a car. It may not be visible every month, but it becomes real when the car is sold or traded in.

73 Auto uses official vehicle data and is expanding its market intelligence with historical pricing and listing signals. These signals help improve depreciation and ownership cost modelling over time.

73 Auto is not just a valuation tool. It focuses on the real cost of owning a vehicle, including depreciation, running costs, finance, tax, MOT, insurance and other ownership factors.

Yes. 73 Auto includes insurance estimates and allows users to improve accuracy by adding optional insurance details such as age, no claims bonus, claims history, licence type, parking, occupation, cover type and actual insurance quote.

Yes. Users can enter an actual annual insurance quote to make the ownership cost estimate more relevant to their situation.

Yes. 73 Auto includes finance and leasing inputs. Users can enter details such as credit profile, deposit, term, APR, monthly quote, final or balloon payment and PCP end plan.

73 Auto can support different payment assumptions, including cash purchase and finance or leasing inputs. This helps users understand how payment structure affects ownership cost.

Yes. 73 Auto includes fuel or energy cost estimates and allows users to override the fuel price if they want to use their own assumption.

Yes. Driving style can affect fuel consumption and tyre wear estimates. Users can choose options such as calm, normal or aggressive driving style.

Yes. Postcode can be used for urban cost calculations, including assumptions connected to Congestion Charge, ULEZ and parking where relevant.

Yes. 73 Auto can include tyres, Service & MOT, maintenance and repairs as separate cost categories in the ownership cost breakdown.

Yes. 73 Auto lets users compare up to four vehicles side by side by Total Cost of Ownership and individual cost categories.

The Compare page can show total annual TCO, VED, insurance, fuel, Service & MOT, depreciation, maintenance, finance or leasing, tyres, urban costs and roadside assistance across selected vehicles.

Yes. The Compare page can highlight savings between vehicles, for example showing how much one car may save per year compared with other selected vehicles.

Yes. 73 Auto saves completed calculations to the user account, so users can revisit reports and add vehicles to comparison.

Yes. 73 Auto supports PDF export for TCO reports.

73 Auto offers pay-as-you-go packs for individual users and monthly business plans for dealers, traders and automotive businesses.

Single Check costs £5.99 one-off and includes one full TCO check, saved to the user account, with PDF export.

Value Pack costs £22.49 one-off and includes five TCO checks, account saving, no expiry and PDF export.

Big Value Pack costs £39.99 one-off and includes ten TCO checks, account saving, no expiry and PDF export.

No. Credits from one-off packs do not expire. They remain in the user account until they are used.

Yes. Billing is powered by Stripe, with secure checkout and VAT shown at checkout.

Yes. 73 Auto offers business plans for dealers, traders, high-volume dealerships, fleets, platforms, marketplaces and networks.

Starter is for small dealers and traders. It includes 30 TCO checks per month, full DVLA and DVSA data, PDF export, reminder service and a 6-month minimum term.

Dealer is for growing dealerships. It includes 50 TCO checks per month, everything in Starter, team access, priority support and a 6-month minimum term.

Dealer Pro is for high-volume dealers. It includes 100 TCO checks per month, everything in Dealer, API access, advanced analytics, dedicated onboarding and a 6-month minimum term.

Enterprise is for API users, big dealers, marketplaces and networks. It can include unlimited TCO checks, everything in Dealer Pro, white-label options, a dedicated account manager, custom SLA and a 12-month minimum term.

Yes. API access is available on Dealer Pro and Enterprise plans.

Yes. White-label options are available on Enterprise plans, subject to separate commercial terms.

No. 73 Auto provides modelled estimates based on available data and user assumptions. Actual costs can change because of market conditions, mileage, vehicle condition, driving style, finance terms, insurance quotes and other factors.

No. 73 Auto is not financial advice. It is a car ownership intelligence tool designed to support smarter ownership decisions.

No. Users should use 73 Auto alongside proper inspections, vehicle history checks, finance checks, test drives and professional advice where needed.

Some cost categories may show lower confidence when there is limited data or when the estimate depends heavily on assumptions. Users can improve accuracy by adding more personal details or real quotes.

If official data is unavailable, some sections may show "not available" or lower confidence. 73 Auto makes those limitations visible inside the report.