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Used-car checking guide

Check UK MOT mileage history before buying or importing

Use official UK MOT records to review dated mileage, failures and gaps, including the difference between a registration lookup and OdoTrace's VIN lookup.

OdoTrace · Editorial review: . Source dates are stated separately.

For a car with a UK inspection history, MOT records can supply dated odometer evidence. Keep its former UK registration if it has been exported. The public government lookup and OdoTrace use different input routes.

Choose the right lookup

  1. Official public service: open GOV.UK's MOT history check and enter the registration number. Review the recorded mileage, test outcomes and available defects.
  2. OdoTrace: enter the VIN in the vehicle check. The connected DVSA source looks up available records by VIN. If it returns no match or is unavailable, use the optional UK registration check or the official registration route and compare documents.
  3. Optional UK plate check in OdoTrace: enter the UK registration in the separate optional check. Its MOT readings belong to that plate response and are not matched to the VIN in your report. Confirm the identity using the vehicle and seller’s paperwork before relating the two results.

GOV.UK states that car, motorcycle and van records in England, Scotland and Wales start in 2005; Northern Ireland results start in 2017. A particular vehicle may have a shorter history. Official coverage.

For an exported car, connect the records carefully

  • Match the former registration and VIN to export and registration paperwork. A current foreign plate will not replace the old UK registration in the public MOT service.
  • Compare units before comparing numbers. UK records commonly use miles; the seller may advertise kilometres.
  • Mark the export date and find destination-country inspections. A gap between countries remains a gap even when both countries return some records.
  • Ask about repeated advisories and the work that resolved them. A pass is the test outcome on that date, not a full purchase inspection today.

Keep individual history separate from fleet statistics

OdoTrace's public model pages use a separate, historical 2023 bulk dataset. For example, the 2008 Yaris odometer band describes a cohort in 2023. It does not add inspection records to your car or estimate its current mileage.

The underlying official integration is documented in the DVSA MOT History API specification. Read the mileage-history checklist for handling decreases and missing periods.