How to read a car's MOT history before you buy
A car's MOT history is a record of every test it has had: whether it passed, its mileage and what the tester found. Read it before you buy, and you'll know what's been fixed, what's been put off and what bills may be coming.
By Natalie Pilling
Car enthusiast
Updated
First published
Quick answer
Enter the car's reg into an MOT history check and read every test, newest first. Look at the failures and what fixed them, advisories that come back year after year, gaps between tests and whether the mileage rises at every test. Dangerous and major items fail an MOT; minor and advisory items show what may need money soon.
Key takeaways
- A car's MOT history shows every test since 2005, with the result, the mileage and what the tester found.
- An advisory that comes back test after test usually means the problem was never fixed.
- Anyone can see a car's MOT history for free on GOV.UK, using just its reg.
See what CarCanny finds on the car you're looking at.
What does a car's MOT history show?
A car's MOT history shows every MOT test it has had since 2005: whether it passed or failed, the mileage, and what the tester found.
GOV.UK's MOT history service shows each test's result, the mileage when the car was tested and when the next MOT is due. For tests in England, Scotland and Wales, it also lists which parts failed and which had minor problems. For cars tested in Northern Ireland, results go back to 2017.
When does a car need its first MOT?
In Great Britain, a car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, and then one every year.
So a car in Great Britain that's under 3 years old has no MOT history yet, and no MOT mileage readings to check. In Northern Ireland, cars are first tested at four years old.
What do dangerous, major, minor and advisory mean on an MOT?
Dangerous and major items fail the MOT; minor and advisory items pass, but tell you what to watch.
| Item | What it means | MOT result |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous | A direct and immediate risk to road safety, or a serious impact on the environment. Don't drive the car until it's repaired. | Fail |
| Major | It may affect the car's safety, put other road users at risk or affect the environment. Repair it immediately. | Fail |
| Minor | No significant effect on the car's safety or the environment. Repair it as soon as possible. | Pass |
| Advisory | It could become more serious in the future. Watch it, and repair it if needed. | Pass |
You can be fined up to £2,500, banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a car that failed its MOT because of a dangerous problem. Driving a car without a valid MOT can cost you a fine of up to £1,000.
How do you read a car's MOT history before you buy?
Work through the tests from newest to oldest, and look for patterns rather than single items.
Get the registration number
It's on the number plate and the V5C logbook. Make sure both match.
Look up the MOT history
Use GOV.UK's MOT history service or CarCanny's full report. Both list every test, newest first.
Read the failures
For each fail, see what failed and whether the car passed a retest soon after. A quick pass means the fault was fixed.
Follow the advisories
Note any advisory that appears on more than one test, such as corrosion or tyre wear. If it keeps coming back, it hasn't been fixed, and it may fail the next MOT.
Check the mileage
The mileage should go up at every test. A reading lower than the one before is a sign the car may have been clocked.
Look for gaps
A year with no test can be innocent, for example if the car was declared off the road with a SORN. Ask the seller to explain it.
See when the MOT runs out
A car whose MOT runs out in a few weeks may need work soon after you buy it.
What are the warning signs in an MOT history?
The biggest warning signs are mileage that goes down, the same advisory year after year, and gaps nobody can explain.
| What you see | What it might mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The mileage goes down between tests | The car may have been clocked | Ask the seller why, and walk away without a convincing answer |
| The same advisory on several tests | The fault was never fixed | Ask for proof of the repair, or price the repair into your offer |
| More than a year between two tests | The car was off the road, or was driven without an MOT | Ask why, and don't go ahead if you're suspicious |
| A fail for a dangerous item | The car had a serious fault | Check that it passed a retest and the repair was done properly |
What does CarCanny show from a car's MOT history?
The full report shows the car's MOT status and every past test, read for you, with a mileage check.
| What the full report shows | |
|---|---|
| MOT status | Valid until when, with the time left, or failed, not due or not valid |
| MOT history | Every test, newest first: pass or fail, the mileage, and the tester's dangerous, major, fixed-at-the-station, minor and advisory items |
| Mileage | Every MOT reading as a chart, and a check that each is at least the one before it |
The free report shows whether the car matches its logbook, so you can rule a car out before you go to see it.
Frequently asked questions
How far back does MOT history go?
For cars in Great Britain, GOV.UK's MOT history service has the results of tests done since 2005. For cars tested in Northern Ireland, it goes back to 2017.
Does MOT history show mileage?
Yes. Each test records the mileage when the car was tested, so you can see whether it has gone up at every test. It's the main way to spot a clocked car.
What do gaps in MOT history mean?
A gap means no test was recorded for a while. It can be innocent, such as a car declared off the road with a SORN, but ask the seller to explain it before you buy.
Is an MOT history check free?
Yes, on GOV.UK. CarCanny's full report lists every past test with a mileage check, and reads the advisories for you.
Can you drive a car that failed its MOT?
Only if its current MOT is still valid and the test listed no dangerous problems. Otherwise, you may not drive it until the problems are fixed.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle(opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: MOT rule changes, 20 May 2018 (the defect categories)(opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Getting an MOT(opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Getting an MOT, MOT test result(opens in a new tab)
- nidirect: How the MOT scheme works(opens in a new tab)
- Citizens Advice: Buying a used car(opens in a new tab)
The ideas for our guides come from people on our team. We use AI tools to help research, draft and edit them, and the named author reads each one before it's published.
Written by
Natalie Pilling
Car enthusiast at CarCanny
Natalie is a senior product engineer at vlayer, the company behind CarCanny.
