MOT History Check
View the complete MOT test history of any UK vehicle. Every pass, every failure, every advisory notice — and the mileage recorded at each test. All sourced directly from DVSA records.
What Is MOT History?
Every UK vehicle over three years old must pass an annual MOT test to confirm it meets minimum roadworthiness standards. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) records the result of every test — pass or fail — along with the mileage displayed on the odometer at the time of testing, the test date, the testing station, and any failure items or advisory notices raised by the tester.
This history stretches back to 2005 for most vehicles and is publicly accessible via the DVSA. It is one of the most valuable free data sources available to used car buyers, and VEHIXA surfaces it clearly in every vehicle check.
How to Spot Mileage Fraud Using MOT Records
Mileage clocking — winding back or tampering with an odometer — is estimated to affect around 1 in 16 used cars in the UK. It costs buyers an average of £1,500 extra per transaction because higher mileage reduces a car's value significantly. MOT history is your best defence against it.
Because mileage is recorded independently by a third-party MOT tester at every annual test, it creates a timestamped paper trail that is very difficult to fake completely. Look at the mileage progression across every test: it should rise consistently year on year. A sudden large drop in recorded mileage between two consecutive tests is a near-certain sign of clocking. Implausibly low mileage for the vehicle's age — for example, a 10-year-old car showing 25,000 miles — also warrants close scrutiny.
Understanding Failures and Advisories
MOT failures tell you what the tester found serious enough to prevent the car being legally driven. Common failures include brake wear below the legal minimum, tyre tread depth below 1.6mm, suspension component failure, lighting defects, and emissions above the permitted level. A single historic failure is not necessarily alarming — it happens to many well-maintained cars. What matters is whether the failure items were properly repaired before the next test.
Advisories are items the tester flagged as not yet at failure level but likely to deteriorate. They are written into the DVSA record verbatim. If the same advisory appears across two, three or four consecutive tests — for example, "corrosion to brake pipe" — it means the owner has repeatedly deferred the repair. That is a maintenance red flag worth discussing with the seller or having inspected by a mechanic before you buy.
MOT History as Part of a Full Check
MOT history on its own is free and very useful, but it does not tell you about outstanding finance, stolen status, or insurance write-off history. VEHIXA's full report from £11.99 combines the complete DVSA MOT record — with mileage analysis and advisory timeline — alongside finance checks, stolen searches, write-off history, keeper records and a current market valuation. Everything in a single, easy-to-read report.
What if a Car Has No MOT History?
Vehicles under three years old will have no MOT history because they are not yet required to be tested. Imported vehicles may have a gap in UK history before they were first registered here. If a car is four years old or more and shows no MOT history, that is unusual and you should ask the seller for an explanation. It could indicate the vehicle has spent time SORN (declared off road), but it could also mean the car has been driven illegally without a valid MOT.