Every time your car has an MOT test, the odometer reading is recorded. Over the years, this builds up a valuable history that can reveal a lot about how the car has been used — and whether anything suspicious has happened.
Where to Find Mileage Records
MOT mileage data is recorded by the DVSA and is publicly accessible. You can view the complete mileage history for any UK car by running a free car check on MOTChecker. We plot every recorded reading on an interactive chart, making patterns easy to spot at a glance.
What Normal Mileage Looks Like
The average UK car covers around 7,000 miles per year. On a mileage chart, this appears as a steady upward line with consistent gaps between each year's reading. Some variation is normal — people drive more in some years than others — but the overall trend should always be upward.
Red Flags to Watch For
Mileage Going Down
This is the clearest sign of clocking. If the mileage at any MOT is lower than the previous one, the odometer has been tampered with. Our anomaly detection flags this automatically.
Sudden Jumps
A car that does 5,000 miles per year for several years, then suddenly shows 25,000 miles in a single year, warrants investigation. It could be legitimate (a new job with a long commute) or it could indicate the odometer was corrected after a previous clocking.
Suspiciously Low Mileage
A 15-year-old car showing only 15,000 total miles isn't impossible, but it's unusual enough to question. Very low-mileage cars can also have their own problems — seals dry out, batteries fail, and fluids degrade when a car sits unused for long periods.
Gaps in History
Missing MOT records can indicate that the car was off the road (SORN), abroad, or that records were lost during a period when the odometer was being manipulated.
Why Mileage Matters
Mileage directly affects a car's value, insurance premiums, and expected maintenance costs. A clocked car may need expensive repairs sooner than expected because components have done more miles than the odometer suggests. It can also invalidate warranties and make insurance claims more complicated.
Always check the mileage history before buying a used car. It takes seconds and could save you thousands.