A private seller’s photos and a quick walk around the car tell you how it looks today. They do not show what testers wrote on past MOT tests, whether the same note kept coming back, or how the recorded mileage moved between tests. Checking the registration first gives you a factual starting point before you travel or put down a deposit.
What to do before you book a viewing
Enter the registration above. The free check shows make, colour, fuel, year, the latest mileage on the MOT History file, and the names of areas testers wrote about. It does not show tax or current MOT expiry, and it does not confirm you have the right car.
If the lookup succeeds, you move into a free preview for that registration. The preview does not replace kicking the tyres. It summarises what the MOT file already suggests you should investigate: how many marked areas the engine found, whether the buyer position is lower concern, investigate, or significant concerns, and a short lead on what to ask the seller. You see counts and hooks, not the full pattern write-ups.
How the preview helps your buying decision
- You learn whether the file is quiet or already pointing at repeated advisories, fail-then-pass sequences, or notes that later disappeared — before you negotiate.
- You see which inspection areas are in scope on the model so you know where to look in person.
- You get seller-question prompts drawn from this registration’s record, not generic car-buying tips.
When you are ready to go deeper, the buyer report opens the dated MOT timeline, verbatim pattern chronology, viewing tasks on the inspection model, and copyable questions for the seller. It still does not include finance, stolen, or write-off checks, and it is not a mechanic’s inspection.
What this check will not tell you
MOT tests are a legal minimum at a point in time. A pass does not prove the car is fault-free now. Silence in the file does not prove a clean history — only that nothing was recorded. Car Buyer Check does not score reliability, predict repair costs, or value the car.
Use the registration check to decide whether a viewing is worth your time and what to verify when you get there. If the preview surfaces patterns, carry those questions into the appointment; if the file is empty or very short, plan your own mechanical checks rather than assuming all is well.