Add to Chrome
FREE MOT CHECK

Free MOT history check, in plain English

Type the number plate to see every MOT the car has had, with the red flags, mileage and repair bills pulled out for you. Made for first-time buyers.

Official records from the DVSA. Free, no sign-up, and it works on your phone.

No reg yet? Find the right car first

What you get, free

  • 01

    A score out of 100

    From how the car's been looked after: fails, dangerous defects, problems that keep coming back and missing years.

  • 02

    The red flags

    Mileage that goes backwards, years with no MOT, rust flagged again and again, and unfixed safety recalls.

  • 03

    Bills coming up

    What the tester warned about at the last MOT, with rough garage prices to help you agree a lower price.

  • 04

    What to ask the seller

    Questions written from this car's own history, ready to copy into a message before you travel.

How to read an MOT history

Every car over three years old has an MOT each year, and every one is on public record. Here's what the words mean.

Pass and fail
A fail means something had to be fixed before the car could legally go back on the road. Most cars pass a retest a few days later. One fail isn't a worry. The same fail year after year is.
Advisory
Something the tester noticed that isn't bad enough to fail yet, like tyres or brakes wearing down. Advisories at the last MOT are the next owner's bills.
Minor
A small defect that doesn't fail the car but should be fixed soon.
Major and dangerous
Major means a fail. Dangerous means the car wasn't safe to drive until it was fixed. One in the past is fine if it was sorted properly, so ask for the receipts.
Mileage
Every MOT records the mileage, and it should only go up. If it goes down, the clock may have been wound back, or the tester mistyped it. Either way, ask why.
Missing years
A year with no MOT can mean the car was off the road, or that it was driven without one. Ask the seller what happened.

What an MOT history can't tell you

Whether money is still owed on the car, whether it's been reported stolen, or whether an insurer wrote it off. If there's finance on it, the car may belong to a finance company rather than the seller.

A full history check covers all three, using data from Experian.

See the full history check

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. The MOT check, the score, the red flags, the repair estimates and the seller questions cost nothing, and you don't need an account. We earn from insurance partners and from optional paid reports.

Where does the information come from?

From the DVSA, the government agency that runs the MOT. It's the same record you'd see on GOV.UK, read for you and turned into plain English. Repair prices are rough guides to help you negotiate, not quotes.

Where do I find the number plate?

Most ads show it in the photos or the details. If it's hidden, ask the seller: an honest seller will happily give it to you.

Does it replace a mechanic's inspection?

No. It tells you which cars are worth going to see and what to look at when you get there. For an older or more expensive car, a proper inspection is still worth it.

Buying your first car?