About motstat

Who runs motstat

motstat is a free, independent site run by Simple Metrics Ltd, a UK company. We aren’t affiliated with the DVSA, the DfT, any car maker or any dealer. There’s no sign‑up: you don’t need an account and we don’t ask for your name or email.

Simple Metrics Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16700613. Registered office: 71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ.

Contact

Spotted a mistake, or have a question? Email hello@motstat.co.uk.

What MOT history can’t tell you

The MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn’t look inside the engine, clutch or gearbox, or at an electric car’s battery, and a pass doesn’t mean the car has no faults.

MOT history also can’t show whether a car has been written off or stolen, or still has finance owing: a paid vehicle history check covers those.

Grades describe the model, not one car. A well-kept car of a low-graded model can be a better buy than a neglected one of a top-graded model, so check the exact car’s own MOT history and have it inspected before you buy.

MOT terms

First-time pass

The car passed its first test that day with no major or dangerous defect, even one fixed during the test.

Major

A defect that fails the MOT.

Dangerous

A defect that fails the MOT and means the car shouldn’t be driven until it’s fixed.

Minor

A defect that’s recorded, but the car still passes.

Advisory

Not a fail, but worth watching: it often wears into a fail by the next MOT.

Repaired at test

A defect fixed at the test centre during the test, so the car then passes.

Offside / nearside

Driver’s side / passenger side on a UK car.

Typical car

The average for cars of the same age and similar mileage.

Grade

A is the best 20% of cars on UK roads for their age and mileage; E is the worst 20%.

Data

MOT results come from the DfT anonymised MOT dataset (2018–2023) and the DVSA MOT history service (2024 onwards). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Privacy

We set no cookies, need no account and don’t sell or share what you look up. We count page visits with cookie-free analytics that doesn’t identify you. Questions: hello@motstat.co.uk.

Photo credits

Representative photos from Wikimedia Commons; backgrounds removed. The year, trim or market may differ from the car on the page.