How to check a car's MOT history — and actually read it

The MOT history is the closest thing a used car has to medical records: every test, every failure, every warning, every recorded mileage since 2005 — public, free, and mostly ignored by buyers.

What the record shows

For any UK registration you can see each test's result (pass or fail), the odometer reading, and the defects — split into failures (dangerous or major) and advisories (worth watching). A car needs its first MOT at three years old, then annually.

Reading it like a mechanic

• Advisories are the future bills. "Brake pads wearing thin" this year is a brake job next year. A string of ignored advisories that repeat test after test tells you the owner spent nothing on the car.
• Fails-then-passes on the same day usually mean the garage fixed and retested — normal. A fail followed by a pass at a different station weeks later deserves questions.
• Corrosion advisories are the serious ones. Rust on structural parts becomes a failure, and eventually uneconomical.
• Mileage should climb smoothly. Falls or plateaus are the classic clocking pattern — see our clocking guide.
• Check the MOT expiry. A seller offering a car with a long MOT is offering a year of tested roadworthiness; "MOT just expired" shifts the risk to you.