How to check a used car's MOT history and what the advisories really mean
Published 19 October 2026
If you are buying a used car in the UK, few things reveal its true story as plainly as its MOT history. Every test, pass or fail, and every advisory note is recorded on a central database, free for anyone to check. For traders, it is a fast way to separate genuine stock from cars that will cost you time and money. For private buyers, it is often the difference between a sensible purchase and an expensive mistake.
This guide walks you through exactly how to check a car’s MOT record, what the different test outcomes mean, and, most importantly, how to read between the lines of the advisories. We also look at how that history ties into pricing, using real observations from the market to help you make sharper decisions.
How to check a used car’s MOT history
The process is straightforward. You only need the vehicle’s registration number.
Go to the official GOV.UK website and search for “check MOT history”. Enter the registration and you will see the full test record for as long as the car has been tested. The service is free and covers every MOT test in England, Scotland and Wales. (Northern Ireland has its own system, but the principle is similar.)
On the results page you will find:
- The date of each test and the test result (pass or fail).
- The mileage recorded at the time of each test.
- The expiry date of the current MOT certificate.
- A list of any reasons for failure, plus advisory items noted by the tester.
Bookmark this page or keep a screenshot. When you view a car in person, you can compare the paperwork with the digital record. Any gaps or inconsistencies deserve a question.
Decoding the MOT test categories
Since May 2018, MOT test results have been grouped into defect categories. Understanding these helps you judge how seriously to take each item.
Dangerous
A direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The car fails and must not be driven until repaired. If you see a recent dangerous defect, ask for proof of repair. If the seller cannot provide it, walk away.
Major
A significant fault that means the car fails. It may not be immediately dangerous, but it is illegal to drive the vehicle on public roads without fixing it. Major defects often point to neglected maintenance.
Minor
The car still passes, but a fault was noted that falls short of the required standard. A minor defect should be repaired as soon as possible. One or two minors on an older car are common. A cluster of them, or the same minor appearing test after test, suggests a pattern of deferred maintenance.
Advisory
These are items the tester wants to bring to your attention. They are not defects yet, but they could become problems in the future. Advisories are the most misunderstood part of the MOT record, so we will give them their own section.
What advisories really mean
An advisory is the tester’s way of saying “keep an eye on this”. It is not a fail, and the car is road legal. But treat advisories as a window into how the car has been cared for.
Tyre advisories
You will often see notes like “tyre worn close to legal limit” or “tyre worn on edges”. A single advisory for a tyre approaching 1.6mm is normal. If the same tyre appears again on the next test without being replaced, the owner has been cutting corners. Budget about £60 to £120 per tyre for a mainstream car, fitted and balanced. If the advisory mentions cuts, bulges or ply exposed, that is a dangerous fail, not an advisory, so check the wording carefully.
Brake advisories
Common phrases include “brake pads wearing thin”, “brake disc worn, pitted or scored” or “brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material”. Thin pads are a routine wear item, costing perhaps £150 to £300 per axle at an independent garage. Scored discs often mean the pads were not changed in time. A corroded brake pipe advisory is more serious: replacement can involve several hours of labour and cost £200 to £500 depending on the car. If you see “covered in grease”, be suspicious. It may have been deliberately obscured to pass the test.
Suspension and steering advisories
“Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement”, “shock absorber has a light misting of oil” or “coil spring corroded” are typical. A misting shock absorber is often flagged years before it actually leaks. Worn bushes can cause uneven tyre wear and vague handling. Replacing a suspension arm or bush typically costs £150 to £400 per side. Corroded springs are a fact of life on older UK cars; if one spring has snapped, the other often follows. Budget for replacement in pairs.
Corrosion advisories
These are among the most important to take seriously. “Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced” or “subframe corroded” are warnings that rust is advancing. Surface rust on suspension components is common and often harmless. But structural corrosion on sills, floor pans or chassis legs can quickly become a major expense. Welding work is labour intensive, hard to quote accurately without stripping the car, and can easily run to £500 or more. If a car has multiple corrosion advisories over successive tests, assume the seller is passing the problem on to you.
Lamps, visibility and minor items
“Headlamp lens slightly deteriorated”, “wiper blade split” or “registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread” are low cost fixes. They do, however, tell you something about the owner. A car that repeatedly has the same blown bulb advisory may have been run on a tight budget. That is not a deal breaker, but it fits a pattern.
Exhaust and emissions advisories
“Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases” or “exhaust system corroded” appear regularly. A small leak near a joint can often be sealed or welded for under £100. If the advisory mentions the catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter, costs rise sharply. A DPF that is “corroded” or “showing signs of leakage” can mean a replacement bill of £1,000 or more.
Interpreting multiple advisories
One or two minor advisories on a five year old car are unremarkable. Ten advisories on a car that has just passed suggest the owner has done the bare minimum to scrape through. Our data shows that across UK listings we track, the deeper a car is priced below the typical dealer price, the faster it disappears: cars 30% or more below sold about 3.1 times faster than average. A car with a long list of advisories may be priced at that tempting discount, but the speed at which it sells does not mean it is a good buy. It often means someone else overlooked the warnings.
Using MOT history to spot hidden problems
Beyond individual advisories, the pattern of tests tells its own story.
Recurring advisories
If the same advisory appears for two or three years in a row, the owner has been ignoring it. That can mean deferred maintenance elsewhere. A car that has “brake pads wearing thin” three tests running has almost certainly been driven with worn pads for thousands of miles, which may have damaged the discs.
Sudden pass after a string of fails
Look at the gap between a fail and a retest. If a car fails on multiple items and passes the same day or the next day, the work was likely done quickly. That is not necessarily bad, but check the invoices. If the retest is weeks later, ask why. A long gap may mean the owner was shopping around for the cheapest possible fix.
Mileage discrepancies
The MOT record shows mileage at each test. Plot the numbers in your head. A car that covers 12,000 miles a year steadily is typical. A sudden drop to 2,000 miles a year, or a jump backwards, needs an explanation. Clocks can be tampered with, but more often a gap points to a period off the road (possibly after an accident) or a second vehicle being used. Cross check with service stamps and old invoices.
MOT expiry date as a negotiation point
A car with only a month or two of MOT remaining gives you less assurance. Sellers sometimes time their sale just before a test is due because they know the car will struggle to pass. If the MOT is short, factor the cost of a pre purchase inspection or a fresh test into your offer.
How MOT history affects value and bargaining
A clean MOT history with no advisories, or only trivial ones, supports a higher asking price. A patchy history gives you leverage, but only if you understand the market context.
Private sellers and dealers price the same car differently. Our data shows that the dealer premium for an identical car is typically 10 to 14 percent. That premium buys you a warranty, some legal protection under the Consumer Rights Act, and usually a car that has been prepared to a higher cosmetic standard. A private seller offers no such protection, so the price should reflect that.
Where buyers often go wrong is comparing a private seller’s price directly against a dealer’s price and thinking they have found a bargain. Our data shows that 38% of apparent bargains disappear once you compare private cars against private cars and dealer cars against dealer cars instead of mixing them. In other words, that private car may look cheap against a forecourt example, but against similar private listings it is merely average.
When you combine this with MOT history, you get a clearer picture. A private car with a flawless MOT record, priced in line with other private sales, is a sensible target. If the same car is priced 30% or more below the typical dealer equivalent, it will sell extremely quickly, as our data confirms. That is where a tool like Flipilo helps: it alerts you to private cars priced below dealer, so you can act on genuine opportunities before they vanish. But always verify the MOT history yourself. A low price and a fast sale do not automatically equal a good car.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check the MOT history of a car I do not own?
Yes. The DVLA’s online service only requires the registration number. You can check any vehicle’s history at any time, which is exactly what you should do before viewing.
How far back does the MOT history go?
For most cars, digital records go back to 2005, when the system became fully computerised. Some earlier records exist but are not complete. If the car is older than that, you will see tests from 2005 onward.
Do advisories mean the car is unsafe?
Not necessarily. An advisory is a note that something may need attention in the future. However, if the same advisory appears repeatedly, or if the item is structural or brake related, you should treat it seriously and budget for repair.
Should I buy a car that has failed several MOTs?
It depends on the reasons. Fails for worn tyres or blown bulbs are minor. Fails for corrosion, brake pipes or emissions components can be expensive. Look at whether the failures were properly fixed and whether related advisories keep appearing. If the seller cannot provide invoices for the repair work, assume the worst.