Every MOT Check Option Ranked
| Service | Price | Raw data | Analysis | Repair costs | Clocking detection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVSA MOT history | Free | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| CarCostCheck free | Free | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CarCostCheck premium | £4.99 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AA car check | £14.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| HPI Check | £19.99 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Car Checks
Cheapest MOT Check UK 2026: Free Options vs Paid, Fully Explained
MOT history is free from the government. But the free check misses advisories, repair costs, and red flags. Here's the cheapest way to get a useful MOT analysis instead of raw data.
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CarCostCheckCheck Any Car Free, Instantly
Full MOT history, mileage check, health score, running costs. No signup needed.
Key takeaway: MOT history is free from the DVSA and free from CarCostCheck. The difference is that the DVSA returns raw data and CarCostCheck explains what it means, estimates repair costs, detects clocking, and scores the car's reliability. Both cost nothing. Use CarCostCheck for the analysis.
Check Any Car Free, Right Now
Enter a reg plate below. Full MOT history, mileage check, reliability score, and running costs in seconds.
The DVSA Free MOT Check
The government's MOT history service is free. Enter a registration and you see every MOT test since 2005, including the date, the result (pass or fail), the mileage at the test, and any advisories or failures listed. It is the authoritative record.
It is also raw, unfiltered, and unexplained. An advisory that reads "nearside front shock absorber has slight misting of oil" is genuinely hard to interpret unless you already know what that means and how much it costs to fix.
Check your car's MOT history free
Enter any reg below for a free MOT history, mileage check, and running costs. Takes 5 seconds, no signup.
Data from DVSA and DVLA. Used by thousands of UK car buyers.
Why CarCostCheck's Free MOT Check Is More Useful
CarCostCheck pulls the same DVSA data. For free, with no sign-up. On top of the raw data, the free report adds:
- Plain-English explanations for every advisory. That shock absorber becomes "one front shock absorber is starting to leak; not a fail today but will need replacing within 6-12 months."
- Estimated repair costs for each advisory, based on UK average labour rates and parts prices.
- Mileage clocking detection that analyses year-over-year mileage patterns. A sudden drop, flat year, or impossible jump is flagged automatically.
- A reliability score from 0 to 100 based on MOT pass rate, advisory severity, and defect trends.
- Running cost estimates for fuel, tax, insurance, and predicted repairs.
- Red flag alerts for neglect, safety, or structural concerns.
None of this is available from the DVSA's own service. None of it is available from most paid car check services at £19.99. It is all free on CarCostCheck.
Try It Yourself
See everything we check for free. No sign-up, no email, instant results.
When You Should Pay for an MOT Check
You shouldn't. MOT data is free under the Open Government Licence. Any service charging purely for MOT history data is reselling something that costs nothing. The only reason to pay for a car history check is if you want additional data that the DVSA does not provide: stolen, finance, write-off, keeper history. CarCostCheck bundles all of that into the £4.99 premium report, alongside the free MOT analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the CarCostCheck MOT check the same as the DVSA one?
The raw data is identical because we use the same DVSA API. The presentation is different. CarCostCheck explains each advisory, estimates repair costs, detects clocking, and scores reliability.
How do I check MOT history by registration?
Enter the reg plate on the CarCostCheck homepage and you get results in under 10 seconds. No sign-up, no email, no payment for the free report.
How far back does MOT history go?
The DVSA database holds MOT results from 2005 onwards. Anything before that is not available from any service.
Ready to Check a Car?
12 checks included. Free MOT analysis, mileage verification, running costs, and more. Premium stolen, finance, and write-off checks for just £4.99.
Related reading: Cheapest HPI Check UK | Cheapest Mileage Check UK | How to Check MOT History Free UK
Explore Car Data by Make
Check your car's MOT history free
Enter any reg plate for a free MOT history, mileage check, health score, and running costs. No signup needed.
Used by thousands of UK car buyers. Data from DVSA and DVLA.
Example report preview
2019 Ford Fiesta
1.0 EcoBoost, Petrol, Manual
82
Grade A
£2,450
per year
Pass
MOT status
42k
Mileage
Fuel£1,180Tax£165Insurance£680Repairs£425
This is what you'll see. Try it with YOUR car:
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12 free checks included. Premium history from £4.99. Valuation from £2.99.