How to check a car’s MoT history online in 4 easy steps

Let’s be honest, most of us dread the MoT test. This rigorous vehicle check is crucial, because it ensures that a car is roadworthy for another year, but when it’s your car going under the inspection lamp, there’s always nagging doubts over whether it will pass or fail. Put that stress to one side, however, and there’s no denying that a car's MoT status and history are vital pieces of information for both car buyers and sellers.

If you’re looking to buy a used car, checking a car’s MoT history can generally give you a good idea of the level of care it has received over the years. Knowing this could then help you avoid ending up with a neglected money pit. 

A car's MoT history will reveal the date of every MoT test the car has undergone, as well as whether it passed or failed. In addition to that, you’ll also be able to see a list of advisories, as well as the reason for any test failures noted by the MoT test centre; crucially, so will potential buyers when the time comes to sell your car on. It’s all very useful information, and the best news is that it’s free to access and easy to find.

Where to find a car’s MoT history

There are many websites that offer a MoT history-checking tool. In fact, we even have our very own free MoT history checker, which will provide you with lots of highly useful information about almost any car.

The majority of MoT checkers will gather their data directly from the official Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) database, so it should be fully up to date. However, a vehicle’s MoT test result is only available after the test centre uploads the results, which means brand-new MoT results may take a few days to appear on the database.

In order to carry out an MoT check on any vehicle, all you will need is the vehicle’s registration number. Performing a check will provide detailed information about a car’s previous MoT results, including the dates of all tests, the test number, the mileage on the odometer when the car was tested and, most importantly, whether or not the car actually passed. If you already own the vehicle, and you’re checking a vehicle’s MoT through the government’s website, you can also provide the V5C vehicle log book reference number to see where each test was carried out.

MoT checker: step-by-step guide

1. Open the Auto Express MoT Checker.
2. Type in the registration number of the car you wish to find out about and then click ‘Check MoT’.
3. Next, you will be greeted by a page displaying all the MoT information about the car going right back to its first test.
4. You can also find out if a car has any outstanding recalls or defects, with information provided by the manufacturer. 

It is possible to view the MoT test centre location when checking a vehicle's MoT through the government website. But you’ll need to be in possession of the V5C log book and provide the 11-digit reference number printed on the document.

What to look for in a car’s MoT history

If a car has failed an MoT at any point in its life, the word ‘fail’ will be displayed in large red lettering, which is difficult to miss. Underneath, there will be a list of the reasons for this failure. Any defect that has caused an MoT failure must be repaired immediately, because it has been deemed dangerous.

If the car has passed, the word ‘pass’ will be written in green. Be careful, though; just because a car has passed an MoT, this doesn't necessarily mean that it’s without fault. If a car has been given any advisory notices, these will also be displayed on the history report.

Defects such as worn tyres that are close to the legal limit, worn brake pads, or corrosion, are some examples of common advisories. If you can’t see any advisories written down, the car has passed the test with flying colours.

If the same advisory appears in several tests or has been allowed to deteriorate into a cause of failure, this could be a warning sign that a previous owner wasn’t too bothered about car maintenance.

By checking a car's MoT history and the mileage intervals between check-ups, you may be able to tell if the seller is hiding any lingering faults, and also sniff out any signs of car clocking. The car’s service history should also help to back-up its current mileage.

And for those needing to know when the roadworthiness of a car will need testing again, the website will also tell you when the latest MoT certificate runs out.

If you want to do some further research, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) also has its own online tool that allows users to see further details about any registered car. This service allows users to see when the vehicle was first registered, what its CO2 emissions are, the tax band it sits in, and when the next tax payment is due.

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