How to read a car's MOT history before you buy

A car's MOT history is one of the most useful free records you can read when you buy. Read it as a story, not a list. Check that the mileage climbs steadily, look for advisories that keep coming back, find out what was repaired after each fail, and ask about any year with no test. Then put the car next to others of the same model and age, and see the car with a mechanic before you pay.

Where the history comes from

The record is held by DVSA. You can read it on the GOV.UK check MOT history service with the car's registration number. For cars, results go back to tests done since 2005. The service shows:

• whether each test was a pass or a fail
• the mileage recorded at each test
• when the next MOT is due

For tests in England, Scotland and Wales it also shows which parts failed and any minor problems, and you can download copies of the current and previous certificates. To see where each test was done, you need the 11-digit reference from the log book (V5C), which a buyer may not have until the sale. For tests in Northern Ireland, results only go back to 2017.

Ask the seller for the registration before you travel to see a car. A seller who will not share it is telling you something.

Step 1: read the mileage pattern

Write down the mileage at each test in date order. You are looking for a line that only goes up.

• A steady climb is what you want. The yearly figure does not matter as much as the consistency.
• A reading lower than the one before needs an explanation. It can be a mistake when the mileage was entered, a replaced instrument cluster with paperwork, or a clocked car. Ask, and ask for proof. GOV.UK lets an owner get a wrong MOT mileage corrected with evidence, so a known error may already have been fixed.
• A sudden flat period can mean the car was laid up, or that it was off the road with a fault. Ask why.
• A sudden jump after years of low use can mean a change of owner or use. It is not a problem in itself, but it changes how you read wear items.

Compare the latest MOT reading with the odometer when you see the car. The difference should make sense for the time since the test.

Step 2: look for advisories that keep coming back

An advisory is a note that something was near the point of failure, or worth mentioning, on the test day. One advisory means little. The same advisory on two, three or four tests in a row means the owner was warned and did not act.

Group the advisories by item, not by year. If you see the same brake pipe, the same suspension arm or the same corrosion note year after year, that is the story of the car. Our guide to MOT advisories and failures explains each category, and the MOT advisory checker decodes the wording testers use.

Step 3: check every fail and what followed

A fail followed by a pass on the same day, or a few days later, is common. It usually means the car was repaired and retested within the time limits. Our guide to MOT retest rules explains how that works.

For each fail, ask three questions:

1. What failed? A blown bulb is not the same as a corroded brake pipe.
2. Who fixed it and what was replaced? Ask for the invoice.
3. Did the same item fail again later? If so, the first repair may have been a patch.

Step 4: look for gaps

Count the tests. A car over three years old in Great Britain needs an MOT every year to be used on the road, so look for a gap of more than a year between tests. A gap can mean:

• the car was declared off the road (SORN), stored, abroad or tested in Northern Ireland
• it was being repaired after an accident or a major fault
• it was used without an MOT

None of these is automatically a reason to walk away, but each one needs an answer. A long gap followed by a fail with a long list of items tells you the car was neglected before it came back.

Step 5: sort the items that matter from the wear items

Not every line deserves the same weight.

Wear items come and go and are cheap to fix. Structural corrosion, brakes, steering and suspension cost more and say more about how the car has been kept. Corrosion in particular tends to spread.

Step 6: compare the car with its model

A list of fails means more when you know what is normal. Some models fail more often at a given age than others. Our MOT fail rates by model pages show how often cars of each model and age fail, compared with all cars of the same age, using DVSA's anonymised MOT data. These are averages across many cars, not a verdict on the one you are looking at.

Step 7: take the list to the viewing

Write down the repeated advisories and the fails. At the viewing, look at those parts, ask the seller about each one and ask for invoices. If anything structural or safety-related keeps appearing, ask a mechanic to inspect the car before you agree a price. The example Buying Report shows, for a made-up example car, how we turn an MOT history into a viewing checklist.

Frequently asked questions

How far back does MOT history go?

For cars, the GOV.UK service shows results for tests done since 2005. For tests in Northern Ireland, results start in 2017.

What does it mean if a car failed and passed on the same day?

Usually that the car was repaired and retested. It is common. Check what failed and ask for the invoice for the repair.

Can MOT history show if the mileage has been tampered with?

It can show warning signs, such as a reading lower than an earlier test. It cannot prove a car has been clocked on its own. Ask for service records and an explanation for any reading that goes down.

Which MOT advisories should worry a buyer?

Repeated advisories on brakes, steering, suspension and corrosion near structural parts. Tyres, wipers and bulbs are wear items and are cheap to fix.