Free car check by registration

What the free check shows

All of this is on the result page.

• The car on DVSA's recordMake, model and colour, with engine size, fuel and the month first registered, as DVSA records them. Check they match the car you're looking at.
• MOT statusWhen the MOT runs out, or the date it ran out. For a car that hasn't had an MOT yet, the date its first MOT is due.
• Every MOT resultEach test on record, newest first, with the date, the result and the mileage. A fail and its retest are shown together. For cars, records start in 2005.
• Defects and advisoriesWhat the tester recorded at each MOT, in DVSA's words, marked dangerous, major, minor or advisory. For 12 common advisories, such as worn brake discs, we explain what they mean in plain English.
• Mileage readings, with drops flaggedThe odometer reading at each MOT. A reading 1% or more below the one before is flagged “Mileage needs checking”.
• Repeated advisoriesAdvisories or minor defects in the same area, such as tyres or brakes, at more than one MOT. It may not be the same part.
• Dangerous defect in the last 3 yearsFlagged at the top of the result. If the latest MOT was a fail with no pass since, that's flagged instead. Every test with a dangerous defect is marked in the history.
• Outstanding recall statusWhether DVSA's record shows an outstanding safety recall. GOV.UK says recalls show in MOT records depending on the manufacturer. “None found” means the record doesn't say either way.
• How the model comparesThe 3 most common MOT failure areas for the same model first used in the same year, from DVSA's 2025 tests in Great Britain, and how many of this car's MOTs recorded something in each area. We compare only when DVSA's data has at least 1,000 tests of that model and year.
• Questions for the sellerQuestions from the car's record, plus standard ones about the V5C, VIN, service history and finance. Tick them off, send them to the seller or print them.

Defect details aren't published for tests in Northern Ireland. For those tests you see the result and the mileage only.

What a free check can't show

MOT records don't include these, so our result marks them “Not checked”:

• Outstanding financeNot checked
• Written off (Cat S or N)Not checked
• Recorded as stolenNot checked
• Plate changesNot checked

For these you need a paid vehicle history check. What each one includes differs, so compare them before you pay.

Free checks on GOV.UK

GOV.UK has two free services that also work with a registration.

• Get vehicle information from DVLAThe vehicle enquiry. It shows the current tax rate and when the tax expires, SORN status, when the MOT expires, when the car was first registered and when the last V5C was issued. Our check doesn't show tax or SORN, so use this for those.
• Check the MOT history of a vehicleIt shows whether each MOT passed or failed, the mileage and when the next MOT is due. For tests in England, Scotland and Wales, it also lists failed parts and minor problems, lets you download MOT certificates, and shows where each test was done if you have the 11-digit number from the V5C.

How our check differs

Both use DVSA's MOT records. GOV.UK shows the records. Our check also reads them for you. It:

• flags mileage drops, a recent fail, dangerous defects and repeated advisories
• explains common advisories in plain English
• compares the car with others of the same model and year
• turns the record into questions for the seller

We don't show tax status, MOT certificates or where a test was done. Use GOV.UK for those.

More free checks

Sources

What our check shows comes from our own code. What the GOV.UK services show comes from these pages.

• Get vehicle information from DVLA, GOV.UK, updated 29 Jan 2025, checked 1 Nov 2026
• Check the MOT history of a vehicle, GOV.UK, updated 20 Oct 2017, checked 1 Nov 2026