How our MOT history check works

By Rizwan Ahmed · Last updated 23 October 2026

A VehicleFile report is built from official records, and every number on it is worked out by fixed rules. This page sets out those rules, so you can see exactly where each figure comes from and judge it for yourself.

Where the data comes from

When you enter a registration, we ask the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for the vehicle's MOT record through its official MOT history service. That record holds the make, model, colour, fuel type, engine size and registration date, every MOT test with its date, result, mileage, expiry date and test number, every defect and advisory the tester wrote down, and whether the vehicle has an unfixed safety recall.

We do not edit or add to DVSA's records. We keep a result for up to three days so a repeat check loads quickly, then ask DVSA again. The time of the check is printed on every report.

MOT status and the early test window

The MOT is valid until the latest expiry date on a passed test. You can have the next MOT up to a month minus a day before that date and keep the same renewal date, so the report shows the first day you can book without losing any time.

Mileage checks

Mileage going down. A reading is flagged when it is lower than any earlier reading. Readings recorded in kilometres are converted to miles first.
Average per year. The latest reading divided by the years since first registration, rounded to the nearest 100. It is only shown once the vehicle is at least a year old.
Miles driven per year. The miles added between one MOT and the next, scaled to a full year. A fail and its retest within 60 days count as one test, so a retest does not make a short, misleading interval.
Recent use. We compare the latest interval with the average per year. More than 25% above it reads as driven more recently, more than 25% below as driven less, and anything in between as steady.

Time without a valid MOT

We line up every test in date order. When the next test happened more than 31 days after the last valid MOT ran out, the report says how long the vehicle had no valid MOT, with both dates. MOTs due between 30 March and 31 July 2020 were extended by six months during COVID, so those expiry dates are moved on by six months before the check.

A vehicle declared off the road with a SORN does not need an MOT, so a gap is a question to ask the seller, not proof of anything. Where a stretch of 15 months or more has no tests and is not explained by a lapse, we show it as a gap between MOTs.

The MOT record at a glance

Passed first time. Each year's MOT is counted once. A failed test followed by a retest within 60 days is one yearly MOT, and it only counts as passed first time if the first test passed.
Clean passes. Passes with no defects or advisories recorded at all.
Where the faults have been. Each defect is put into an area of the car, such as tyres, brakes or suspension. We read the tester's words first, because they name the part, and fall back to the section number of the MOT inspection manual. An area is marked if anything in it has ever caused a fail.

Faults that keep coming back

We compare defect descriptions across the whole history, ignoring the manual reference and punctuation. When the same description appears at MOTs more than six months apart, it is flagged as a recurring problem. Nearside and offside, front and rear are kept apart, so two different tyres are not counted as one fault returning.

ULEZ estimate

The MOT record does not include the Euro emissions standard, so our ULEZ result is an estimate from fuel type and first registration date. Fully electric vehicles meet the standard. Petrol and petrol hybrids registered from 2006 are usually Euro 4 or better. Diesels registered from September 2015 are usually Euro 6, and those from earlier in 2015 may or may not be. Always confirm with Transport for London's own vehicle checker before you drive in a zone.

What the report cannot tell you

MOT records do not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, theft, previous keepers or plate changes. A clean MOT history is a good sign, not a full history check. If you are buying, see the V5C logbook, check the VIN matches the car, and get a paid history check that covers those records.

Our data studies

Our reliability rankings and area pass rates use DVSA's anonymised MOT data, published under the Open Government Licence. The full method, including the months used, the minimum sample sizes and how results are adjusted for vehicle age, is set out at the end of The most reliable cars in the UK. Our mileage averages use the same data; see Average car mileage in the UK.

Corrections

If a report looks wrong, the MOT record itself may be wrong, for example a mistyped mileage. DVSA can correct its records, and the MOT test centre that made the entry is the place to start. If you think we have read a record wrongly, please tell us. Our wider standards are on the editorial policy page.