Free UK car history and write-off check
Enter any UK registration and see the car's full MOT history, every recorded mileage reading, advisories and failure reasons, and current MOT status. The data comes from the DVSA MOT history service, so it is the same official record a garage sees.
What the check covers
- Every MOT test: pass, fail, the failure items and the advisories
- Mileage at each test, so clocking and inconsistent readings stand out
- Current MOT status and expiry date
- Make, model, engine, fuel and first registration date
Why mileage history matters most
A mileage that drops between tests, or barely moves for years then jumps, is the single clearest warning sign in a used car listing. See what the MOT history tells you and how to check if a car has been written off.
What "written off" actually means
A write-off marker (Cat A, Cat B, Cat S or Cat N) is not on the MOT record itself: it is an insurance industry marker, recorded separately by the insurer and searchable against the registration. This check pulls that alongside the MOT and mileage history so you see both in one place, since a car with a clean MOT history can still carry a marker, and vice versa.
What you need before you check
Just the registration. No account, no card, and the free result covers the headline picture: MOT pass/fail count, current MOT status, latest mileage and how many mileage anomalies were found. A free account unlocks every individual test, the failure reasons and advisories on each one, and the full mileage timeline.
When you need the confirmed write-off category
This free check does not read the insurance write-off register. Whether a car is written off, and in which category (Cat A, B, S or N), plus outstanding finance and a police stolen check, all need licensed data. Run the Full HPI Report for that: 5 credits, no subscription.
If it turns out to be written off
See recorded closing bids for that model at UK salvage auction, free with no sign in. They are recorded closing bids, not independently confirmed sales. Or search recorded Cat S and Cat N closing bids by make and model if you are shopping around rather than checking one specific car. Bidding on a damaged one yourself? Run the listing through the salvage profit analyzer first.
Not sure where to find the VIN, or what it should match? See how to read one or decode it free.
New to HPI checks? Read what an HPI check is, what it actually shows, and whether a free one exists.
Comparing providers? See how we stack up against HPI Check, against carVertical, against Experian AutoCheck, against the RAC, against the AA, against the free GOV.UK check, against Total Car Check and against Motorcheck.