Car jargon, decoded

It means the engine management system has spotted something wrong - not what the problem actually is.

One or more tyres is significantly under-pressure - it usually won't tell you which one.

One of the more serious lights - it means the engine may not be getting properly lubricated.

The charging system (usually the alternator) isn't topping the battery up - the car is running on borrowed time.

Usually just the handbrake, but it can also mean low brake fluid or a genuine fault - worth checking which.

The diesel particulate filter is clogging with soot - short journeys are the usual cause.

A genuine safety-critical fault: the airbags may not deploy correctly in a crash while this is on.

The engine is overheating - continuing to drive risks serious, expensive damage.

Normal braking still works, but you lose the anti-lock function that stops wheels skidding.

Red means stop and check now, amber means get it looked at soon, green or blue is just information.

A 74 plate means the car was first registered between September 2024 and February 2025.

A 76 plate means the car was first registered between September 2026 and February 2027.

Look at the two digits after the letters - that's the age identifier, issued twice a year since 2001.

The first two letters point to where the car was first registered, not who owns it or where it lives now.

Issued when a car's true age or identity can't be verified - not automatically a red flag, but worth extra questions.

It hides the age identifier from view, but the car's real first registration date is still on record.

Not on its own - a plate change is usually just a private plate being added or removed.

It means the car failed initially but the fault was fixed on the spot within an hour, then passed.

Full Service History - every scheduled service has been done and recorded.

FMDSH means every service was done at a manufacturer's main dealer - FSH just means it was serviced somewhere.

Or Very Near Offer - the seller wants close to the asking price, with only a little room to negotiate.

Or Nearest Offer - similar to OVNO, but generally read as leaving a bit more room to negotiate.

The car has had structural damage but has been assessed as repairable and roadworthy again.

The car has been written off for non-structural damage - repairable, without the structural questions Cat S carries.

Cat C and Cat D were retired in 2017 and replaced by Cat S and Cat N - many older cars still carry the old labels.

The car's official registration document, sometimes called the logbook.

SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification - how you officially declare a car is off the public road.

No - an advisory means something will likely need attention soon, not that it's already wrong.

It carries real weight in a private sale, but a trader can't use it to remove your statutory rights.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems - the tech that helps with driving, like lane-keep assist and automatic braking.

A check of a used car's records for things you can't see by looking at it, like outstanding finance, theft reports and insurance write-offs.

A note on a car's history record that an outside organisation has registered an interest in it, for a reason outside the usual finance, stolen and write-off checks.

A record that a car was listed at a salvage auction, where damaged and written-off vehicles are usually sold.

On its own, not much. It's most useful read alongside the car's service history and MOT record.

The colour registered for the car has been updated, usually after a respray. It isn't a warning sign on its own.

It depends on the size and where it is - the closer to the driver's eyeline, the smaller the damage needs to be to fail.

Usually not urgent yet, but corrosion near a mounting point is worth acting on before it becomes a fail.

There's more free movement in the steering than there should be before the wheels actually respond.

Some do, some don't - it depends which light, and whether it's showing an actual system fault.

Lighting and signalling issues, like blown bulbs, are consistently the single biggest cause, year after year.

Nearside is the kerb side, offside is the middle-of-the-road side - in the UK, that's left and right.

Yes, if it's on when it shouldn't be - it's specifically checked as part of the emissions test.

Below 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, anywhere around its circumference.

A Diesel Particulate Filter - it traps soot from the exhaust, and needs regular fast driving to clear itself.

Both keep the engine's timing in sync - a belt needs replacing on a schedule, a chain usually doesn't.

The exhaust part that turns harmful gases into less harmful ones - and a common theft target because of what's inside it.

It connects the engine to the gearbox - slipping, a high biting point or a burning smell usually means it's on its way out.

Pads are the friction material that clamps on to slow the car - discs are what they clamp onto, and wear more slowly.

A turbocharger uses exhaust gas to force more air into the engine, giving a smaller engine more power.

It's printed on the tyre's sidewall, as a code like 205/55 R16.

Check the sticker on the driver's door pillar, inside the fuel flap, or the handbook - never guess a figure.

Look for the 4-digit date code on the sidewall - it shows the week and year the tyre was made.

Check inside the fuel flap, the V5C, or the handbook - all three normally state petrol or diesel.

Check your fuel gauge - most cars show a small arrow next to the pump icon pointing to the correct side.

Most cars: dipstick out, wipe it, back in, out again, and read between the min and max marks.

Commonly visible through the windscreen, inside the driver's door pillar, or under the bonnet - and on the V5C.

Get a replacement from a dealer or locksmith, and think about whether the lost key is a security risk worth acting on.

Personal Contract Purchase - lower monthly payments, but a large final payment if you want to actually own the car.

HP pays off the whole car with no final payment - PCP has lower monthly payments but a balloon payment if you want to keep it.

The large optional payment at the end of a PCP deal - pay it to own the car, or hand the car back instead.

What you pay towards a claim yourself before your insurer covers the rest.

A discount for each claim-free year - and even a non-fault claim can sometimes still affect it.

Guaranteed Asset Protection - covers the shortfall between what your car's insured for and what you still owe or paid.

It depends heavily on whether you bought from a dealer or a private seller - dealers carry far more legal obligation.

Within 30 days, generally yes if it's faulty - but changing your mind isn't the same as it being faulty.

Start with Citizens Advice, who can refer serious cases on to Trading Standards.

An independent dispute resolution service for the motor industry - but only for businesses signed up to its code.

UK law gives some protection to private buyers who didn't know about the finance, but whether it applies depends on the details.