How to check a car's MOT history before you view it

Every car over three years old needs an annual MOT test, and the full result of every test — pass, fail, mileage, and every individual defect noted — is kept on the official public record. It's free to look up by registration, and it's one of the single most useful things you can check before you even arrange to view a car, because it tells you things a seller's advert never will.

What's actually in an MOT record

• Every test result, going back as far as the car's history on the system, not just the most recent one.
• The recorded mileage at each test — the backbone of any mileage discrepancy check, and worth scanning yourself for anything that looks off.
• Every individual defect noted at each test, split into categories — from a minor advisory to a dangerous fault that meant the car legally couldn't be driven until fixed.

Patterns worth looking for

• The same fault, repeatedly. A defect that keeps recurring test after test suggests it's being patched rather than properly fixed.
• A same-day retest after a failure. This usually just means a quick, minor fix was made and the car passed later the same day — normal and not a concern on its own.
• Dangerous defects. These mean the car was, at the time, not legally roadworthy until repaired — worth asking exactly how and when it was fixed.
• A current failure, or one due imminently. A car currently failing its MOT, or about to need one, changes the maths on what you should be paying and what you should budget for straight after buying it.

What it won't tell you

An MOT is a snapshot of legal roadworthiness at the point of testing, not a full mechanical health check — plenty of expensive problems (clutch wear, gearbox issues, a fault that's developed since the last test) simply aren't part of what's tested. Treat a clean MOT history as a good sign, not a guarantee, and still get the car properly inspected before you buy.

How to use it before viewing

Look the registration up before you arrange to see the car. A pattern of recurring defects, a currently expired or soon-to-expire test, or mileage figures that don't match what the advert claims are all good reasons to ask the seller direct questions — or reconsider the trip entirely — before you've spent your afternoon on it.