BeginnerFree8 minarticle
MOT
How to read MOT history
Learn how pass, fail, major, minor, dangerous and advisory items change the buyer decision.
Learning goals
article
- ✓Understand MOT defect severity.
- ✓Spot repeated advisories and repair gaps.
- ✓Separate a clean pass from a well-maintained car.
Repeated advisories matter
A later pass does not prove an advisory was repaired. Ask for invoices and inspect the affected area.
- Dangerous and major defects deserve repair evidence.
- Minor defects and advisories can reveal deferred maintenance.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a current MOT means the car is good.
- Ignoring advisories that repeat year after year.
Buyer actions
- Read at least five years of MOT history.
- Ask for repair invoices for serious or repeated items.