An MOT history check pulls up every MOT test a car has had. Each one shows the date, the result, the mileage on the day, and any fails or advisories. It takes a number plate and nothing else. This page explains what you’ll see and what it means for the car in front of you.
Every MOT test in Great Britain is recorded by the DVSA, the government agency that runs the test. The records go back to 2005, and anyone can now see them free. Tests done in Northern Ireland are shown from 2017, with the result and the mileage but not the faults. A history check is simply a look at that record for one car, laid out in date order.
You can see the raw record on GOV.UK. MOT Wise shows the same data, then reads it for you. It shows what keeps coming back, whether the mileage adds up, and the likely cost of keeping the car on the road.
- The result of each test. A pass, a fail, or a pass with advisories.
- The mileage at each test. Read by the tester from the dashboard, so it can carry typing slips.
- Reasons for failure. Since 20 May 2018 the tester grades each one major or dangerous. Either grade fails the test. Tests before then have no grade.
- Minor defects. Faults the tester graded minor. The car still passes, but they should be repaired soon.
- Advisories. Things the tester noticed that may need work soon, but weren’t bad enough to fail the test. These are the early warnings.
- The expiry date. When the current certificate runs out.
Advisories are the useful part
A pass tells you the car was roadworthy on the day. The advisories tell you what the tester saw coming. A tyre close to the limit, a brake pipe starting to rust, play in a ball joint. They’re the clues to what the next bill might be.
- Look for gaps. Most cars need a test every year from their third birthday. A missing year might mean the car was off the road, or driven without a certificate.
- Check the mileage runs in one direction. A reading that drops between tests could be a slip by the tester. It could also mean the mileage reading was wound back. Either way, ask.
- Follow the repeats. The same part failing or being advised at test after test suggests a fault that was patched rather than fixed.
- Look at the retests. A fail followed by a pass a day or two later usually means a quick repair. A fail followed by a long silence is worth asking about.
- Read the last test twice. Whatever is on the latest certificate is what you inherit.
Our guide to what a good MOT history looks like by age and mileage goes deeper on each of these.
The raw record is a list. The MOT Wise report turns it into a story you can act on:
- A risk rating from Very Low to Very High, worked out from the whole record, not just the last test.
- The patterns the record shows: repeat failures, advisories that were never fixed, faults that got worse, and whether the mileage adds up.
- How cars of the same make, model and age usually do at their MOT, shown on its own as background.
- Likely costs for the next few years, shown as ranges rather than a single figure.
- Questions to ask the seller, written from what the record actually shows.
Every sentence comes from a reviewed library, not a chatbot. The way the report is written is open for anyone to read.
The MOT record shows what a tester saw on one day each year. It doesn’t show servicing, repairs done between tests, accident damage, outstanding finance or whether the car was ever written off. For those you need a paid history check and, ideally, a look at the car with someone who knows what they’re doing.
A good record is a good sign, not a guarantee
A clean history makes a nasty surprise less likely. It does not rule one out. Treat the report as the questions to ask, not the answer.
Common questions
- Is an MOT history check free?
- Yes. The DVSA publishes every MOT result, and MOT Wise shows it free with no sign-up. The plain-English report built on top of it is free too.
- What do I need to run one?
- Just the number plate. You don’t need the V5C logbook or the owner’s permission, because MOT results are public records.
- Does an MOT history check show accidents or outstanding finance?
- No. It shows test results, mileage and defects only. Finance, write-offs and theft markers need a separate history check such as HPI.