Free MOT history check
Check any car’s MOT history — free
Enter a UK reg to see every MOT test, advisory, failure and recorded mileage since 2005 — free, no sign-up.
What you'll see on this page — free
- Test dates & results
- Advisories & failures
- Mileage at each test
One click more — the full free check adds
- Tax & MOT status
- ULEZ status
- AI condition score
- Repair cost estimate
- Problems you may need to fix
How to read an MOT history
Advisories vs failures
An advisory is a warning: the tester saw something wearing but the car still passed. A failure means the car could not legally be driven until the fault was fixed. Both stay on the record.
Repeat advisories
The same item on three tests in a row usually means deferred maintenance, and a cost for the next owner. Price it before you make an offer.
Mileage
Mileage should rise steadily. A drop is a mileage discrepancy, not automatically clocking: it may be a recording error. Check the odometer and service history, not the V5C, which does not record mileage.
Gaps
A year with no test can mean the car was off the road, abroad, or untaxed. Ask the seller what happened and whether there is paperwork for that period.
Deeper reading: what MOT advisories mean, mileage discrepancies on an MOT, average mileage by age and how often cars of each age fail.
What MOT history can't tell you
The MOT record is about condition, not the car's past. It does not show an insurance write-off, outstanding finance, a stolen marker, how many keepers the car has had, or plate and colour changes. Those come from the Full History Report — £9.99, one-off, 60 days' access. It shows what the records hold; no check can guarantee a car's past.