Vehicle and current MOT details
Available make, model, fuel type and registration details help identify the car. Check the recorded MOT status and next due date where supplied.
Vehicle & MOT HistoryRead the story behind each test
Check the available MOT history of a UK vehicle by registration. Review previous test results, recorded mileages, advisories and failure notes before you decide what to ask the seller.
Get a dedicated report for £0.99 per vehicle. Compare the recorded history with the car in front of you, its service documents and any evidence of repairs.
What does a vehicle and MOT history check include?
A clearer view of the available test record, with vehicle details to help you confirm what you are checking.
Use the history to prepare for a viewing
The report costs £0.99 for one vehicle and is supplied as its own PDF in your downloadable report archive. Available details can include MOT status, dated test results, odometer readings, advisory notices and failure descriptions. The information supplied varies by vehicle.
Read the tests in sequence. A pass after a failure tells you the recorded outcome changed; it does not tell you the quality of every repair. Note recurring concerns and ask for dated invoices so you can understand what was done between tests.
Compare the most recent recorded mileage with the advert, service records and dashboard reading. An unexplained difference is a question to resolve before buying. Neither a consistent sequence nor the absence of an alert guarantees the mileage is genuine.
Only need an MOT lookup? Our free MOT history check already includes available results and a free PDF. The paid package is an optional way to include its available vehicle and MOT details alongside your other purchased reports; it does not guarantee additional tests.
This package is separate from a full car history check. An MOT pass does not answer questions about recorded finance, theft or insurance write-offs, and a test history is not a complete maintenance record.
What the available entries can tell you
Six details worth reviewing
Previous test results
Review the available test dates, passes, failures and retests together. Read the sequence of events rather than relying on the latest result alone.
Recorded mileage
Compare the odometer readings and their units across tests. Available mileage-change information can help identify questions to put to the seller.
Advisory notices
Read recorded advisory items where supplied, then ask whether the relevant work was completed. A later pass does not provide a repair invoice.
Failure reasons
Review the supplied failure descriptions and any major or dangerous defect labels. Use these to focus questions about repairs and current condition.
Supporting history notes
Check any supplied annotations, retest details, expiry information or mileage alerts. Missing entries do not establish an uninterrupted or problem-free history.
How to check vehicle and MOT history
Use the report with the seller's evidence to understand the condition and history you still need to verify.
Check
1. Confirm the vehicle
Enter the registration on the car history check page and confirm the returned vehicle. Select Vehicle & MOT history and review your chosen packages before adding them to the cart.
Compare
2. Read dates, mileages and notes
Once the report is prepared, open its PDF from the downloadable archive. Compare consecutive test dates and mileage units, then make a short list of recurring advisories, failures or unexplained gaps.
Decide
3. Ask for evidence of repairs
Ask the seller for invoices covering the concerns you identified. Match the registration, date and repair description to the history, and have unresolved condition questions assessed before making your decision.
For the official record, check MOT history on GOV.UK. The service provides available test results and certificate downloads; access and historical coverage vary by vehicle type and where it was tested.
Which history information do you need?
Start with the information that answers your question, then add a separate report when another concern remains.
Free MOT history check
Do I want to review previous tests without paying?
See the available MOT results, recorded mileages and notes, with a free PDF download. A useful starting point before contacting the seller.
Use the free MOT checkVehicle & MOT history
£0.99 per vehicleDo I want this package alongside my other reports?
Keep the available vehicle details and MOT record in a dedicated PDF within your purchased report archive. Coverage varies; payment does not guarantee extra tests.
Get the vehicle & MOT reportFull car history check
Are there recorded risks beyond the MOT?
Investigate available finance, theft, insurance write-off and mileage concerns. These checks answer different questions from the condition items recorded at an MOT.
Explore the full history checkVehicle salvage check
Has the car appeared in available salvage records?
Review available salvage history and supporting details with the separate salvage package. Use any findings to ask for repair evidence and assess the car further.
Explore salvage historyFor other ownership costs, review Vehicle Excise Duty information. If you need tyre references to discuss a replacement, explore the separate Tyre Data report.
What should you look for in MOT history?
The useful question is what each entry means for the vehicle you are considering today.
Advisories and failure categories
A pass can still include minor problems or advisories. Major and dangerous defects cause a failure under the current test categories. Read the wording, dates and later results together, then seek evidence of the work completed. The GOV.UK guide to MOT results explains the categories and restrictions after a failed test.
Mileage changes that need an explanation
Check whether each reading uses miles or kilometres before comparing it. A drop, a sudden increase or a mismatch with an invoice deserves an explanation; a recording mistake is also possible. Where a test entry is wrong, follow the official MOT correction process and retain supporting evidence.
Gaps and the limits of older records
GOV.UK's online history covers cars, motorcycles and vans tested in Great Britain from 2005, and Northern Ireland tests from 2017. A gap in a report is not enough to explain how the vehicle was used. Ask the seller about missing periods and compare the official MOT history with their documents.
A valid certificate and current condition
The MOT checks specified items against legal standards at the time of testing. It does not assess the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. Read what the MOT test covers, then consider an inspection appropriate to the vehicle and the concerns you have identified.
Keep the report, advert, invoices and seller correspondence together. Use the GOV.UK used-vehicle buying checklist to check the wider documentation before proceeding.
Your questions answered
Free checks, paid reports, mileage questions and the limits of a valid MOT.
It is a paid report bringing together the available vehicle details and MOT records for a registration. It can include test outcomes, recorded mileages, advisories, failure reasons and current MOT information where supplied. It helps you compare the recorded history with the advert and the seller's documents. It does not include a physical inspection.
The Vehicle & MOT history package costs £0.99 per vehicle. Select it after confirming the registration on our car history check page. You can review the selected packages and total before adding them to your cart. Other reports are separate purchases.
Yes. CarExamer's free MOT history check includes available results and a free PDF download. GOV.UK also provides a free MOT history lookup and downloadable MOT certificates. Choose this paid package if you want its available vehicle and test details in a dedicated report alongside your purchased packages. Payment does not guarantee more MOT records.
GOV.UK lists online results for cars, motorcycles and vans tested in England, Scotland or Wales from 2005, and for tests in Northern Ireland from 2017. That describes the official online history service, not a promise of complete coverage in this package. Available entries depend on the vehicle and its test history.
No. MOT readings record the odometer at individual tests; they do not independently verify every mile travelled. A fall or an unexpected change needs investigation. Check the units, service invoices and any documented instrument replacement. Resolve possible recording mistakes through the official MOT correction process before treating one entry as proof of fraud.
A later pass alone does not show what work was carried out. Ask for dated invoices that identify the car and the repair, then compare them with the notes. Repeated tyre, brake or corrosion concerns deserve specific attention when viewing the car, even if the current MOT is valid.
No. The MOT assesses specified items against legal standards at the time of the test. It does not cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. Use the history to guide your questions and arrange an appropriate inspection when you need an assessment of the car's present condition.
No. MOT history records tests, while service history documents maintenance. This package does not provide a complete record of servicing, oil changes, timing-belt work or every repair. Ask the seller for the service book, digital service record and supporting invoices, and compare dates and mileages.
Those are separate buying questions covered by the full car history check package where records are available. A car can have an MOT pass while another history concern remains. Use the relevant additional check and resolve any discrepancy before proceeding with the purchase.
Once your order is completed and the reports are prepared, you can download the report archive with Vehicle & MOT history supplied as its own PDF. Coverage varies and some fields or tests may be unavailable. Compare unexpected gaps with the official MOT service and ask the seller for supporting records; an empty result is not proof of a clean history.
Ready to look through the recorded history?Confirm the registration and select your £0.99 report.
Get a vehicle & MOT report