Where the mileage figures come from
At every MOT in Great Britain since 2005, the tester types the odometer reading into DVSA's system. Those readings cannot be edited by the seller, which makes the MOT record the most reliable independent mileage history most used cars have. The check above shows every reading, the date it was taken, and the average miles per year since the car was first registered.
How to read the mileage chart
A healthy record climbs steadily from left to right. Flat stretches usually mean the car was used lightly or stood for a while. A steep section means heavy use, such as a motorway commuter. What should never happen is a drop: a reading lower than an earlier one. VehicleFile marks every drop in red and explains it in plain English at the top of the report.
Why the mileage might go down
- A typing mistake at the test centre. The most common cause. A reading of 81,500 entered as 18,500 shows as a large drop followed by a return to normal at the next test.
- A replaced instrument cluster. A new or second-hand dashboard can show a different figure. Honest sellers keep the invoice and a note of the reading at the time.
- A reading in kilometres. Imported cars or replaced clusters sometimes record in km. VehicleFile converts those readings to miles before comparing them.
- Clocking. Winding the odometer back to make the car look less used. It is an offence to sell a car with a false mileage without telling the buyer.
Whatever the cause, a drop is a question for the seller, and the answer should come with paperwork.
Is the mileage reasonable for the age?
The result shows the average miles per year since first registration. Government figures put the typical car at roughly 7,000 miles a year in recent years, with a wide spread around that. A figure far below average on an older car is worth asking about just as much as one far above, because very low mileage is exactly what a clocked car looks like.
What a mileage check cannot show
MOT readings are taken once a year, so the record cannot show what happened between tests, and a car under three years old has no readings yet. Service records, old MOT certificates and the V5C logbook help fill the gaps.
Last reviewed 15 October 2026.