How to check a used vehicle before buying
Use official MOT history to review mileage, failures, advisories and warning signs before you view a vehicle.
Before you travel to view a used vehicle, ask for the registration and run a free MOT history check. Official DVSA records show whether the vehicle has passed or failed, how mileage has moved, and which advisories or defects testers recorded. That will not replace a physical inspection, but it can stop a wasted journey.
1. Get the registration
You need the number plate. If a seller will not give it before a viewing, treat that as a warning sign in itself. Enter the registration on myMOTreport to open a free standard report. No account is required for that lookup.
2. Read the pass and fail history
Look at the latest result first, then the rest of the tests. A recent fail that was later passed can be normal: the vehicle was repaired and retested. Repeated fails in the same area, or a fail just before the listing, deserve a closer look when you see the vehicle.
3. Check mileage patterns
MOT tests record the odometer reading. Miles should stay the same or go up between tests. A sudden drop is a classic clocking warning. A jump that does not match the vehicle's age or how it was used is also worth questioning. Our guide to checking if a vehicle has been clocked explains what MOT mileage can and cannot prove.
4. Read advisories and defects
Advisories are issues a tester noticed that were not a fail on that day. Major and dangerous defects are fails. Recurring advisories, especially on brakes, suspension, corrosion or leaks, often turn into repair bills. Read what MOT advisories and major defects mean when buying a vehicle before you treat a long advisory list as “only minor”.
5. Look for other warning signs
Use the history to spot patterns, not a single line in isolation: tests close together after a fail, mileage that stalls then leaps, the same advisory year after year, or a gap in tests for a vehicle that should have been used. Outstanding recalls, where shown, should be checked with the manufacturer before you buy.
6. Then inspect the vehicle in person
MOT history is not a purchase decision and it does not show accident damage, outstanding finance, or every mechanical fault. Take the report to the viewing, compare it with what you see, and get a professional inspection if anything still looks wrong.
Related guides
myMOTreport is an independent service and is not affiliated with, approved by, or endorsed by DVSA, GOV.UK, or DVLA. MOT records come from the DVSA MOT History API. For the official government page, use GOV.UK MOT history.