RegVerdict
MOT & history

How to read a car's MOT history

RegVerdict guide·6 min read·Reviewed 17 June 2026

What advisories and defect categories mean, and how to read an MOT record for signs of neglect.

A car's MOT history is one of the most useful free records available to a buyer. Every test since 2005 is logged, and the gov.uk MOT history service lets anyone look it up with just a registration. Read properly, it tells you the recorded mileage over time, what has been failing, and whether the car has been cared for or neglected.

What the MOT history shows

For each test you can see the date, whether it was a pass or a fail, the odometer reading on the day, and any defects or advisories the tester recorded. Since 20 May 2018, faults are graded by severity, which makes the record much easier to interpret.

Defect grades, decoded

  • Dangerous — a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The car fails and must not be driven until it is repaired.
  • Major — a serious fault that could affect safety or the environment. The car fails and it should be fixed straight away.
  • Minor — a small fault with no significant effect on safety. The car passes, but it is noted and should be repaired soon.
  • Advisory — something to monitor that may need attention in future, such as a tyre wearing low or the start of corrosion. The car passes.

How to read a history like a buyer

  • Look for repeat advisories. The same advisory appearing year after year, for example corrosion or a weeping shock absorber, suggests a problem that was noted but never dealt with.
  • Watch for a sudden run of failures. A clean record followed by a list of major defects can mean a period of neglect or accident damage.
  • Check the mileage at each test. Readings should only ever rise. A figure that drops, or a year with barely any miles, is a classic sign of clocking.
  • Note any gaps. A missing year may simply mean the car was declared off the road (SORN), but it is worth asking why.
What the MOT will not tell youThe MOT tests whether a car is roadworthy, not whether the engine or gearbox is healthy. Design weaknesses like timing chains, DPFs and dual-clutch gearboxes rarely fail an MOT, so a clean pass is not the whole story. Knowing the common faults for the model lets you ask the right questions.

Reading it all in one place

You can do all of this by hand on gov.uk. RegVerdict does it for you: it reads the whole MOT history into a single verdict, decodes the advisories, flags any mileage rollback automatically, and sets it against how that exact model performs across millions of tests. Check a registration to see the full picture, or run through our used car buying checklist first.

Common questions
How do I check a car's MOT history?
Use the free gov.uk MOT history service with the registration, or run a RegVerdict check, which reads the whole history into a verdict, flags any mileage rollback automatically, and shows how the model holds up across millions of tests.
What is the difference between an advisory and a defect?
An advisory is something the tester thinks you should keep an eye on, like a tyre wearing low or light corrosion. The car still passes. A defect is a fault found at the test: minor defects pass with a note, while major and dangerous defects cause a fail and must be repaired.
What do minor, major and dangerous mean on an MOT?
Since May 2018, MOT faults are graded. Dangerous means a direct risk to safety or the environment and the car must not be driven until it is fixed. Major means a serious fault that fails the test and needs repairing straight away. Minor means a small fault that does not fail the test but should be repaired soon. All three are recorded in the history.
Can you tell if a car has been looked after from its MOT history?
To a degree, yes. A history with few advisories and clean passes suggests good upkeep. Repeated advisories for the same issue year after year, or a sudden run of failures, can point to neglect or a developing problem. The recorded mileage at each test also lets you check for clocking.
Does a clean MOT mean the car is mechanically sound?
No. The MOT checks roadworthiness, not the condition of the engine or gearbox. Faults like a worn timing chain, a failing DPF or a dual-clutch gearbox problem do not show up as MOT failures, so a clean MOT is reassuring but not a guarantee. That is why it helps to know the common faults for the specific model.

Check before you commit

Enter a registration for an instant, evidenced verdict on mileage, MOT history and known faults.

Keep reading
Write-off categoriesWhat Cat A, B, S and N actually mean, whether the car is safe to buy, and how hard to negotiate.Car clockingHow odometer fraud works, the tell-tale signs, and how to check a mileage history for rollbacks.Outstanding financeWhy money still owed on a car can become your problem, and how to protect yourself before you pay.

← All guides