Checking a Car’s MOT History

Named after the defunct Ministry of Transport (now the Department for Transport) the MOT is how people commonly refer to the annual roadworthiness test that most motor vehicles over three years old are legally required to take. It’s the government’s way of keeping track of all the vehicles that are on the UK’s roads, and ensuring that the roads are as safe as possible for motorists and pedestrians.

When a car is taken in for an MOT, most of the following aspects will be checked:

If there are any major faults, or too many of these things are found to be below an acceptable standard, the car can fail its MOT and will be temporarily or permanently taken off the road. Minor problems will not cause the failure of your MOT, but you’ll be advised to get them resolved as quickly as possible.

Regardless of the outcome of an MOT test, the results of each one will be officially recorded in a vehicle’s MOT history. The MOT history will include:

All of this information will give you a clearer picture of what the car will be like to drive, what issues you’ll need to keep an eye on, how its value is likely to change over time and how long you can expect to drive the car for.

If you’re on a budget, exploring the used car market is the best way to get your hands on a model that meets your needs. But when you’re buying a second-hand vehicle, it’s not always easy to get accurate information about it. While the majority of sellers are likely to be honest and upfront about the condition of the car, it’s always possible that they may omit certain details in order to get a sale. Alternatively, they might just not know everything about the vehicle they’re selling. It’s also relatively easy for sellers to forge an MOT certificate, particularly if buyers don’t know what they’re looking for.

Bearing all this in mind, it’s essential that you carry out the MOT check yourself and get your information from an official source.

Checking the MOT history might seem like an extra hassle when buying a car, but you can carry out this crucial step extremely easily. All you have to do is go to the official government webpage, where you can access a database of all MOT results going back to 2005. You just need to get hold of a few pieces of important registration information for the car, and you’re ready to go.

Before you start, make sure that you have the car’s registration number. You’ll also need the 11-digit number from its log book (V5C) to see the test location. The seller should be able to provide you with this. Now, simply enter these numbers when prompted by the government’s online MOT check service, and you’ll immediately pull up the car’s MOT history dating back to 2005.

Make sure you go through the full MOT history and identify any potential red flags. Has it ever failed an MOT and if so, why? Are there any reoccurring minor problems that could become something major in the future? Does it have a higher than average number of miles on the clock for a car at its price point? All these things are key to understanding what your ownership of the car will be like, and what kind of deal you’re getting.

Hopefully this guide has taught you everything you need to know about checking a car’s MOT history, and cleared up any confusion you might have had about the process. For more useful advice, take a look at our complete checklist to buying a used car. With the extra peace of mind this provides, you can enjoy driving away in your next car, safe in the knowledge that you’ve made the most informed decision possible.