Used car buyers warned to check ‘really important’ report before finalising deal

Used petrol and diesel owners have been told to check a “really important” feature before finalising a sale which will tell prospective owners vital hidden details.

Having a peek at a car’s latest MOT test certificate will give motorists a “great indication” of a vehicle’s actual condition.

The report will tell motorists of any potential problems even if they weren’t dangerous enough to fail the test.

Advisories could be small problems niggling under the surface but these could get worse over time if left unresolved.

A quick check before securing a vehicle should go a long way to ensure prospective owners do not pick up a car that needs immediate repairs just weeks after purchase.

John Rawlings, consumer editor at carwow, explained checking the certificate was probably the most vital check any used car owner could look at.

John explained: “The MOT check is really important because that will tell you if there’s any advisories on the car when it was last MOT’d.

“If they haven’t been repaired then they would have gotten worse by the time you’re buying it. It gives you a great indication of the condition of the car.

“Obviously, the MOT is just that one day in time, if it passed the test you don’t know what it’s done and been through since then.” But at least you can track the mileage of your car over those years.”

Interested second-hand car buyers can find all the information they need in seconds via GOV.UK.

Simply searching a vehicle’s registration number will bring up whether a model passed or failed and an update on how many miles have been recorded.

A quick search will also indicate where each test was carried out and what parts failed at each test.

An MOT history can also tell motorists if a vehicle or part has been recalled for safety reasons.

Car, motorcycle and van owners can find tests conducted since 2005.

Tests conducted since 2018 will only be available for those searching for HGVs. trailers, buses and coaches.

John added: “It’s all electronic these days so when you do the MOT check on the Government website you can get an idea of how many miles it’s been doing each year over its whole lifetime and that will give you a good indication of how much it’s been used.”