How to Check for Car Loan in Saudi Arabia Before Buying Used

Buying a used car in Saudi can be smooth, or it can turn into a headache if the car is still under finance. The safest way to protect yourself is to structure the deal so the transfer only happens when the car is eligible to transfer.

This guide shows the practical checks that actually catch problems early, plus the payment habits that stop you from getting stuck with a car you cannot register.

What a car loan issue looks like in real life

When a car is still financed, the seller might not be able to transfer ownership to you. Sometimes they will promise they will clear it after you pay. That is exactly the situation you want to avoid.

Instead, you want a process where the system blocks the transfer if something is not right. In Saudi, the most reliable way to do that is to complete the sale through Absher’s Vehicle Ownership Transfer service, where the transfer is only completed when requirements are met.

How to check for car loan in Saudi Arabia using Absher

If you only do one thing, do this make the actual sale and payment through Absher Vehicle Ownership Transfer, not outside it. Absher is designed for a buyer and seller to agree on the price, then complete the transfer digitally when the conditions are satisfied.

Here is the practical buyer approach

1. Before you meet, agree on one rule
   Tell the seller you will only pay through Absher during the Vehicle Ownership Transfer process. If the seller refuses and insists on cash or bank transfer first, treat it as a red flag and walk away.
2. At the viewing, collect the basic identifiers
   You will need the plate number and the vehicle details. Also ask to see the registration card details so you know you are looking at the correct vehicle.
3. Use Absher to confirm the car can actually transfer
   When the seller starts the sale in Absher and you receive it as the buyer, Absher will only allow completion if the car meets the required conditions. If the car is blocked from transfer, that is the moment you find out, before your money is gone.
4. Only pay when you are inside the Absher flow
   The point of Absher is that it ties the payment and the ownership transfer together as one controlled process. Keep your payment inside that flow so you are not funding someone else’s finance problem.

Second layer protection run a Mojaz report

Absher protects the transfer. Mojaz helps you understand the car’s past.

Mojaz is a platform by Elm that provides a used vehicle report with key dates and statistical insights and can include items like previous owners and accident details based on available records. It is a smart add on before you commit, especially for higher value cars.

What to prepare before you run Mojaz

Have the vehicle identifiers ready. If the seller hesitates to share what you need for a report, that is another useful signal to slow down.

How to use the report as a buyer

Focus on anything that affects value and safety, like accident history and ownership patterns. If something looks inconsistent with the seller’s story, treat it as leverage to renegotiate or to leave.

You can find more information on how to Use Mojaz in KSA

Payment rules that keep you safe

1. Do not pay a deposit to “hold” a financed car
   If the seller cannot transfer today, you have no clean leverage if they disappear or delay.
2. Avoid partial payments before eligibility is confirmed
   If the seller says the transfer is blocked and asks you to pay so they can clear it, that is not your problem to solve.
3. If you want to be extra safe, pay on the same day as the handover
   Do inspection, agree the price, start Absher, complete payment through Absher, then hand over keys and documents.

Common situations and what to do

The seller says “it’s fine, just trust me”
Do not argue. Just repeat your rule payment only through Absher during the Vehicle Ownership Transfer.

Absher will not let the transfer continue
That is the whole point. Stop, do not pay outside, and ask the seller to resolve whatever is blocking it before you come back.

The seller wants cash because “Absher is slow”
Absher is the protection. If someone wants you to bypass it, assume the bypass is the scam.

Quick checklist before you buy

1. Insist on completing the sale in Absher Vehicle Ownership Transfer
2. Do not pay outside Absher
3. Run a Mojaz report to understand the car’s recorded history
4. If anything blocks transfer, walk away until it is resolved

FAQ