Caravan Insurance

Parents looking to help their child out by getting them a car ahead of going to university are being warned to check the vehicle's history.

Information agency Experian warns that a car with a bad history can prove to be more of a burden than something which makes living away from home easier.

However, with free car insurance quotes available at least the challenge of protecting the vehicle is easily overcome.

Rob Whalley, managing director of Experian's automotive division, said: "Around 26 per cent of the entire used car sales transactions for the year take place during July, August and September, coinciding with new car registrations."

"However, the cost of going away to university is already a high one for students and their parents too so the last thing they need is to find that the little run-around they bought to make life easier has got outstanding finance on it and could be repossessed leaving them out of pocket," he added.

The company urges all car buyers to run a background check on the vehicle, just to make sure it hasn't been previously involved in a major accident and then repaired.

Students who take advantage of a free car insurance quote may also find themselves making further savings, particularly if they can convince their parents to foot the bill for this too.