You can use a history check such as HPI, Experian or our own history checker (www.honestjohn.co.uk/car-data-history-checks) to find out if a loan or finance is registered against it, but this won't necessarily tell you if a 'chattel mortgage' such as a 'logbook loan' has been taken out against it. If there is, then you will have effectively bought the debt and if you don't pay it off then the car could be snatched back.