The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is run by the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA). It's the federal register where banks, finance companies and other secured lenders record their interests in personal property — anything that isn't real estate.
For a used-car buyer, the PPSR matters because if a previous owner financed the car and didn't pay the loan out before selling, the financier has a registered claim on the vehicle that survives the sale. The financier can legally repossess the car from you (the new owner) even if you paid the seller in full and had no idea about the debt.
A PPSR check costs ~$2 from the government portal directly, or is included in the $19.99 Aussie Car Check Essentials report alongside the NEVDIS extract. Running one is the single most important due-diligence step before any private vehicle purchase.
What a PPSR check shows
- Outstanding finance (security interests) registered against the VIN
- Stolen-vehicle status (linked via state stolen-vehicle registers)
- Written-off status (linked via state WOVRs and NEVDIS)
- Vehicle identity (make, model, year) verified against the VIN
What a PPSR check does NOT show
- Service history
- Accident history (if no insurance write-off)
- ACCC product safety recalls
- Subtle odometer rollback (only obvious anomalies trigger a flag)