A car's mileage lives in three places: on the dashboard, in its MOT history and in its paperwork. Checking it means reading all three and seeing whether they agree with each other and with the car in front of you. This guide goes through each one in order, with the signs that a reading has been wound back, and what our own data says about how often that happens.
1. Read the odometer
The odometer is the total-mileage counter on the dashboard. On most cars it shows when you turn the ignition on, without starting the engine; some show it on the trip computer or a menu button on the stalk or steering wheel. Note the exact figure. If the display also shows a trip counter, make sure you're reading the total, not the trip. Take a photo: you'll want to compare the number with the records below, and with the advert.
2. Check the MOT mileage history, free
Every MOT test in England, Scotland and Wales records the mileage, and the record can't be edited afterwards. Enter the registration in the search box above and the free check lists every test since 2005 with the mileage at each one, the result and any advisories. Read the readings as a line:
- Steady, rising readings that roughly match the age of the car are what you want. Across the 492,751 vehicles' MOT histories we analysed, cars cover about 7,500 miles a year on average, so a car first registered in 2018 would typically show 50,000 to 60,000 miles by now.
- A reading lower than the one before is a mileage drop. 5.7% of those MOT histories had one. A drop can be clocking, but it can also be a tester's typing error or a replaced instrument cluster, so it's a reason to ask questions, not a verdict on its own.
- A long gap between tests, or a big jump followed by very little, is worth asking about too: was the car off the road, abroad, or on a SORN?
- The last MOT mileage against the odometer today: the odometer should be a little higher, never lower.
Our free car mileage check is the same tool with the readings in one list. The DVSA's own MOT history service shows the same tests.
3. Check the paperwork
Service stamps, garage invoices, old MOT certificates and tyre and brake receipts all carry a mileage and a date. Line them up with the MOT readings: a service at 48,000 miles in 2022 and an MOT at 46,000 in 2023 don't fit. Ask for the service history before you view; a seller who has it will usually send photos. Our guide explains how to check a car's service history, including digital service records held by the manufacturer.
4. Does the mileage match the car?
Wear is hard to fake. On a car showing 30,000 miles, look for:
- Pedals and steering wheel: rubber worn smooth or shiny leather at low mileage is a mismatch. New pedal rubbers on an older car are a question in themselves.
- Driver's seat: a sagging base or a worn outer bolster usually means years of getting in and out.
- Gear knob, handbrake and door handles: polished by use.
- Stone chips, headlamp haze and windscreen pitting: motorway miles leave them.
- Tyres and brakes: four new tyres and new discs on a "low-mileage" car can mean the previous ones wore out.
None of these prove anything alone, but together with the records they tell you whether the number on the dashboard is the number the car has lived.
5. The full report's mileage anomaly check
The MOT history is the best free source, but it starts at the car's first test (three years old) and has one reading a year. The full report adds mileage readings recorded by dealers, finance companies and insurers, and runs a mileage anomaly check over every reading: a figure lower than an earlier one is flagged, with both readings and their dates. In the full reports our customers ran between March 2023 and October 2026, the share of cars with a mileage anomaly rose with age:
| Age of car | Cars with a mileage anomaly |
|---|---|
| Under 3 years | 0.0% |
| 3 to 5 years | 1.3% |
| 6 to 10 years | 1.6% |
| 11 to 15 years | 4.2% |
| 16 years and over | 13.5% |
The older the car, the more hands it has passed through and the more chances a reading has to go wrong, or to be made to. The same report shows finance, write-offs, stolen markers and the number of previous keepers, so you see the mileage in context. See the full car history check.
Signs a car has been clocked
A clocked car has had its mileage wound back so it looks less used and sells for more. Digital odometers can be altered with cheap equipment, so the signs are in the records and the car, not the dashboard:
- A mileage drop in the MOT history, or an odometer reading below the last MOT.
- Service stamps or invoices with a higher mileage than the car shows now.
- Wear that doesn't match the mileage (see step 4).
- A warning light or a dashboard that behaves oddly: some cars store the mileage in more than one module, and a mismatch can show as a fault.
- A price well under the market for the mileage, or a seller who won't send the service history.
Selling a car with a false mileage is an offence under the consumer protection rules, and a dealer who knows about a discrepancy must tell you. If you find one after buying, go back to the seller in writing, and report a dealer to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice.
Is high mileage bad?
Not in itself. A 100,000-mile car that's done long motorway runs and been serviced on time is often in better shape than a 40,000-mile car used for short trips around town, which is hard on engines, clutches and batteries. What matters is that the mileage is genuine, that the servicing kept up with it, and that the price reflects it. Use the mileage to set the price and the service history to judge the car.
How to check a car's mileage FAQs
How do I check the mileage on a car?
Read the odometer on the dashboard, then compare it with the car's MOT history (free, by registration) and its service records. The three should agree, with the odometer the highest.
How can I check a car's mileage online for free?
Enter the registration in the search box above: the free check lists the mileage recorded at every MOT since 2005. The DVSA's MOT history service shows the same readings.
How many miles has my car done?
The odometer shows the total. If you want to see how it's built up over the years, the MOT history shows the reading at each test.
How do I know if a car's mileage is genuine?
Check that the MOT readings rise steadily, that the odometer is above the last MOT reading, that the service history matches, and that the wear fits the mileage. The full report's mileage anomaly check adds dealer and insurer readings.
What if the odometer is broken or has been replaced?
The MOT history still shows the mileage at every test, and a replaced instrument cluster is one explanation for a reading that drops. Ask for the garage invoice for the replacement, which should record the mileage at the time.
Is clocking a car illegal in the UK?
Changing the mileage isn't itself an offence, but selling a car with a false mileage, or failing to tell a buyer about a known discrepancy, is. Buyers can report it to Trading Standards.