Buying a used van: a checklist for light commercial buyers

A van is a tool. It is bought to do work that a car cannot do, and it wears in proportion to that work. That changes what you check and what a record means — a three-year-old panel van can legitimately carry the mileage of a decade-old hatchback.

Start with the weight plate

The gross design weight determines how the vehicle is tested and what it can legally carry. Light commercial vehicles up to 3,500kg need an MOT from three years old: class 4 covers up to 3,000kg, class 7 covers 3,000kg to 3,500kg. Anything heavier moves to goods vehicle testing on a different schedule. Booking the wrong class wastes a day, and overloading the van is one of the most common causes of premature brake and suspension wear.

Read mileage against the payload, not against a car

A van carrying tools and stock at close to its limit will wear brakes, tyres, springs and clutches far faster than a car covering the same distance. High mileage on a van is not automatically a problem — commercial vehicles are built for it — but it should change what you inspect and what you expect to replace. Ask what the van carried and how far, then look at the MOT advisories for the parts that load punishes.

Look at how it was used

The interior tells you more than the advert. A ply-lined load bay with scuffed wheel arches, a bulkhead with impact marks, or a tow bar fitted to a small van all describe a working life. Repeated advisories on brakes and suspension match that story. None of it rules the van out, but it lets you price the maintenance you are inheriting.

• Confirm the gross design weight from the plate, not the advert.
• Check the MOT class the van needs before booking a test.
• Read the mileage across the whole record, not just the last figure.
• Price repeated advisories on brakes, suspension and tyres into your offer.
• Check tax status — a long SORN period means the van has been standing.