About MOTCompare

Our Mission

MOTCompare was founded to solve a real problem in the UK used car market: buyers were making expensive mistakes by purchasing vehicles with hidden dangers. While other services simply dump MOT data, we intelligently filter and flag life-threatening issues that could put you at risk. Our free car comparison tool lets you compare vehicles side-by-side to make smarter, safer decisions.

Our mission is to provide UK vehicle owners and buyers with instant access to comprehensive MOT history, vehicle comparison tools, and dangerous defect warnings, ensuring every car purchase decision is informed, safe, and confident.

What Makes MOTCompare Different

How MOTCompare Works

1. Enter Registration Number: Type any UK vehicle registration (number plate) or VIN for an instant lookup.
2. Instant MOT Check: Get free access to complete MOT history, current status, tax information, and expiry dates within seconds.
3. Danger Warnings: If critical safety issues are detected (door locks, structural failures, brake problems), we flag them immediately with clear warnings.
4. Risk Assessment: View our 0-10 risk score based on failure patterns, mileage inconsistencies, and dangerous defect detection.
5. Compare Cars (Optional): Add multiple vehicles to compare cars side-by-side. Our comparison tool shows MOT history, risk scores, and safety warnings across all vehicles simultaneously.
6. Premium Reports (Optional): Upgrade to unlock stolen checks, write-off history, finance records, valuation data, and detailed specifications.
7. Set Reminders: Never miss an MOT renewal with WhatsApp, SMS, or email notifications.

Compare Cars Before You Buy

Looking at multiple vehicles? Use MOTCompare's free car comparison tool to compare cars side-by-side before making your purchase. Our vehicle comparison feature lets you analyse and compare up to 5 cars simultaneously, giving you a comprehensive overview of each vehicle's history, safety record, and risk level.

When you compare cars with MOTCompare, you'll see:

• MOT History Comparison: See pass/fail records side-by-side to identify which vehicle has the best maintenance history
• Risk Score Comparison: Compare safety scores (0-10 scale) across all vehicles to find the safest option
• Danger Flag Comparison: Instantly spot which cars have critical safety issues like structural corrosion or brake failures
• Mileage Comparison: Compare odometer readings across MOT tests to detect potential mileage fraud
• Tax Status Comparison: See which vehicles are currently taxed and compare road tax costs
• Failure Pattern Comparison: Identify vehicles with back-to-back failures or recurring issues

Whether you're comparing two similar models or evaluating five completely different vehicles, our car comparison tool makes it easy to find the best, safest choice. Compare cars for free, no registration required.

Who Uses MOTCompare

Trusted by UK Drivers

MOTCompare is built on transparency, accuracy, and safety-first principles. We use only official government data sources (DVSA & DVLA) and never hide critical safety information behind paywalls. Our danger detection system has helped thousands of UK drivers avoid purchasing vehicles with life-threatening defects.

Whether you're checking a single vehicle or comparing multiple options, MOTCompare provides the comprehensive, honest insights you need to make confident decisions.

How We Score MOT Pass Rates

The MOT Reliability Score gives you a quick, honest picture of how a vehicle has performed across its full MOT history. Here is how it works.

We group each vehicle's MOT tests by year. If a vehicle passed its MOT in a given year with no failures, that year counts as a clean pass. If it failed and was then repaired and re-tested before passing, that year counts as a pass after failure. If it failed with no subsequent pass, that year counts as a failure.

The base pass rate is calculated as: (passes + passes after failure) divided by total test years, expressed as a percentage.

We then apply penalty deductions based on factors that suggest a vehicle may be harder to maintain in good condition going forward:

• High advisory count: Four or more advisories across the last three tests suggests ongoing wear issues.
• Repairs required: Each year where the vehicle failed and needed repairs before passing adds a deduction.
• Dangerous keyword flags: Each flagged safety defect (structural corrosion, brake failure, etc.) adds a deduction.
• Mileage anomaly: If recorded mileage appears to go backwards across tests, a deduction is applied.
• High mileage: Vehicles with over 100,000 miles recorded carry a small additional deduction.
• Vehicle age: Vehicles older than 10 years carry a small additional deduction due to increased wear.

The final score is capped at a minimum of 0% and displayed on the vehicle page. A score above 85% is considered excellent. Between 70% and 84% is good. Below 70% suggests the vehicle has had reliability issues and warrants a closer look before purchase.