In this article, Helen Catt delves into the sometimes shady underbelly of vehicle financing. Her full investigation plays out in the new program, “Car Finance,” in the series “File on 4 Investigates” now repeating on BBC4. The 37-minute program, which you can view here, originally posted on July 8, 2025, really breaks down the complicated world of commissions in the car finance business. It continues to provide viewers important context and useful knowledge.
With just over a year of the program’s implementation under our belts, it’s an important step toward educating consumers about the traps and extra costs lurking when they finance a vehicle. Catt delves deep into a variety of case studies and voices of experts. It’s through this investigation that she exposes predatory practices that rob consumers of their hard-earned dollars. As Congress considers her reauthorization, the program has emerged as an invaluable resource for anyone thinking about financing a vehicle—encouraging transparency, competition, and informed decision-making.
“Car Finance” is available to a wider range of constituents than ever before, as it is now produced in each of the national languages, including Cymraeg, Gaeilge and Gàidhlig. Plus, the BBC’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity. Their goal is to get them seen by the most eyeballs possible, making sure that language barriers never prevent someone from receiving critical information about automotive finance.
To further support users, BBC Sounds offers specific assistance for users using the program to help them get started. Through the platform, it has become incredibly easy for users to sign in. This action helps broaden the reach and accessibility of “Car Finance” and other valuable original content. Moreover, the BBC provides easy access to contacts, privacy, and other general information to users looking for more information.
The BBC provide a free, weekly electronic newsletter to subscribers. It helps them stay in touch with new initiatives and progress on the “File on 4 Investigates” series. This new audience engagement initiative enables viewers to experience uninterrupted and in real-time the power of committed investigative journalism in progress.
You can see the corresponding picture of one of our program-related events here. We think it’s a great visual representation of all the things we’ve been talking about in “Car Finance.”
