Mileage check: has this car done the miles it says?
The mileage check lists every odometer reading recorded for the car at its MOT tests since 2005, draws them on a chart, and flags any reading that is lower than the one before it. It is free, it comes from the DVSA record, and it is the quickest way to see whether the number on the dashboard matches the car's past.
What the mileage check shows
Each MOT tester records the odometer reading on the day, and that figure is stored against the registration. Put the readings in date order and you have a line that should only ever rise, usually by a similar amount each year. We draw that line, mark each test on it, and lay a dotted line beside it showing the typical mileage for a car of the same model and age, built from every MOT test on that model. Above the chart you see the last recorded reading, the car's average miles per year, and whether that is above, around or below the norm.
The check flags three things. A reading that falls below an earlier one is a mileage discrepancy and the single clearest sign of a clocked car. A gap of more than two years between tests may mean the car was off the road, was abroad, or was tested under a different registration. A jump far larger than the car's usual annual rate is worth a question. None of these is proof on its own; some are innocent, such as a cluster replaced under warranty or a tester's typing error, so the report tells you what to ask rather than what to conclude.
How to spot a mileage discrepancy
Start with the chart. Then compare the figure on the dashboard, in person or in the advert's photographs, with the last recorded reading and the date it was taken; a car that has done 400 miles in eighteen months is as odd as one that has lost 20,000. Ask for the service book and invoices and read the mileage on each; garages record it on every job, and those records are much harder to adjust than a digital odometer. Look at the wear. A steering wheel, gear knob and driver's seat bolster that have done 40,000 miles do not look the same as ones that have done 120,000. If the seller's explanation for any of this is that the clock was replaced, ask for the paperwork and the reading at the time of the swap, which should have been noted on the V5C.
The free check uses MOT readings only. Our full history check adds mileage readings held by finance and rental companies and from previous sales, which catches discrepancies that happened between tests.
What is average mileage for a UK car?
The commonly quoted figure is around 7,000 to 8,000 miles a year for a private car, lower for small petrol cars kept in towns and higher for diesels bought to commute. A car doing double that is not a problem if it has been serviced to match, and a car doing a quarter of it can be worse for sitting still. The useful comparison is with the same model at the same age, which is what our dotted line shows, rather than with a national average.
Mileage check questions
How do I check a car's mileage history?
Enter the registration above. Every reading recorded at an MOT test since 2005 appears on the chart, with dates, and any fall in mileage is flagged.
What is a mileage discrepancy?
A recorded reading that is lower than an earlier one, or a figure that does not fit the car's history. It can mean the car has been clocked, or that an instrument cluster was replaced; the report tells you which questions to ask.
Is clocking illegal?
Adjusting an odometer is not itself an offence in the UK, but selling a car without declaring that its mileage is not genuine is. If you discover a discrepancy after buying, gather the advert, the MOT history and the report and contact Trading Standards.
Can a mileage check tell me if the car has been clocked?
It can show you the evidence, which is usually enough, but it cannot see a car clocked before its first MOT or between tests. Service records and physical wear complete the picture.
Why is a reading shown in kilometres?
Some cars, particularly imports, have odometers in kilometres and the tester records what the dial shows. We label the unit and convert it on the chart so the line reads correctly.
Does the check show the current mileage?
It shows the most recent recorded reading and when it was taken. The figure on the dashboard today will be higher; compare the two before you buy.
Last updated 9 November 2026. Mileage readings: DVSA MOT history service. Model comparison: Direct Car Check analysis of the DVSA bulk MOT dataset. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.