Car history check: MOT history, mileage & official recalls in one report

Start free: decode the number plate or VIN to confirm the car matches its advert and to see MOT and tax status, then read the full MOT history (available free from the official DVSA service) to check for failures, advisories and mileage discrepancies. For write-off, stolen and outstanding-finance data — which aren’t in the free tools — run an HPI-style register check. Automano covers the official-record side, including a full MOT history and mileage check, in one £5.90 report.

Yes. The official MOT history service is a free government tool that shows every test result, advisory and the mileage recorded at each MOT for any UK car. Automano pulls that same MOT history into its report and cross-references it with mileage and recall data so you don’t have to check several sites separately. Write-off, stolen and finance status aren’t in the MOT record — those need an HPI-style register check.

Compare the mileage recorded at each MOT test over the years: a genuine car’s mileage should rise steadily. If it drops between two tests, jumps unusually, or doesn’t match the car’s age and condition, the odometer may have been wound back. Automano’s report lists the mileage from each MOT and flags inconsistencies so a possible clock is easy to spot.

Both are insurance write-off categories for cars deemed uneconomical to repair. Cat S (structural) means the chassis or a structural part was damaged and repaired; Cat N (non-structural) means the damage was cosmetic or electrical, not to the core structure. A repaired Cat S or Cat N car can be legal to drive but is worth notably less and should be professionally inspected. The write-off category lives in the insurance register, which you’ll only see through an HPI-style check — Automano’s £5.90 report covers the DVLA and MOT record.

For the free stuff, no — the MOT history and DVLA vehicle enquiry cover a lot at zero cost, and you should always use them. A paid HPI-style check earns its keep for the data those free tools don’t hold: write-off categories, stolen-vehicle records and outstanding finance. Automano bundles the official MOT/DVLA data with mileage and recall cross-checks for £5.90, and for the finance/write-off/stolen registers you run a separate £9.99–£19.99 HPI-style check.

Automano is cheaper because it covers the official-record half — DVLA, MOT and recalls — which is what a private buyer needs most, and it skips the insurance-style data-accuracy guarantee and the licensed finance/write-off/stolen registers that HPI bundles in. It adds a free unlimited VIN/reg decoder, so the official-record side lands at £5.90. For the registers, an HPI Check at £19.99 is the honest complement.

It doesn’t include a £30,000-style data-accuracy guarantee, damage photos, or a full North-American title/accident history. It also doesn’t include write-off categories, stolen or finance flags — those live in private registers, so for them you need a paid HPI-style check. It focuses on the official UK record: full MOT history, mileage checks, and manufacturer and EU recall cross-checks. For a guaranteed trade-grade dossier a paid HPI report may suit; for a private purchase, the £5.90 report covers the official-record side.