The four things to read
- Fails and what they were. Since May 2018 a fail is "major" (not safe to drive, must be fixed) or "dangerous" (don't drive it). A fail followed by a pass a day or two later means the fault was fixed for the retest; what it was tells you how the car's been treated. Brakes, tyres and suspension are wear; a dangerous corrosion fail on a car under ten years old is a different conversation.
- Advisories that keep coming back. An advisory is something the tester noticed but didn't fail: "brake discs worn", "slight play in a ball joint", "oil leak, not excessive". The same advisory on two or three tests in a row means nobody's fixed it, and it's now your bill. One that appears and then goes was fixed.
- The mileage at each test. It should climb steadily at a believable rate (the UK average is about 7,000 miles a year). A drop, or an advert figure below the last reading, is covered on the mileage page.
- The dates. A test every twelve months is normal. Six months apart suggests a taxi. A gap of eighteen months or more means the car was off the road (SORN, abroad, or just not tested), and it's worth asking why.
Turning it into questions for the seller
"The March test advised rear brake discs and they're on again this year; have they been done?" is a better opening than "Any problems?". Write down every open advisory with a rough price (a pair of discs and pads is about £200 at an independent garage, a tyre £60 to £120, a coil spring about £120 fitted) and add them up before you talk about the price.
What the history can't tell you
The MOT checks safety items on one day a year; it doesn't cover the clutch, the gearbox, the engine's condition, the paint or the interior, and it says nothing about finance, theft or write-offs. That's what AutoFinder's inspection and history check are for.