Best Mileage Check Tools UK 2026: Free vs Paid Compared

Clocking, the practice of winding back odometers, costs UK buyers an estimated £800 million a year according to Cap HPI. Spotting it before you hand over cash matters. The good news is that detection has never been easier or cheaper. This guide compares the four main mileage check tools used in the UK in 2026, with honest verdicts on what each does well and where they fall short. Run any registration through our free MOT history check to start.

Why MOT Checkup leads on free mileage checks

MOT Checkup pulls the official DVSA mileage record for every test going back to the early 2000s, then layers on automatic anomaly detection. The system flags drops between successive tests, statistically improbable jumps, and gaps that may hide a swap.

The service is free, mobile-first and shows results in seconds. It is the only free tool that explicitly draws an anomaly chart, rather than asking the buyer to spot the problem manually. Try it now via free MOT history check or our free vehicle check.

Anomaly detection matters because most clocking is subtle. A truly clocked car rarely shows a single dramatic drop; instead, the odometer is gradually rolled to make the trajectory plausible. Spotting that pattern by eye on a list of seven test mileages is hard. A chart with a flagged outlier turns a 30-minute manual check into a 30-second decision.

How we compared the tools

We tested each service with the same five UK registrations covering a clean record, a known clocking case, an EV, a high-mileage van and a classic. We measured clarity of the result, presence of an anomaly flag, mobile experience, ad load and price.

We did not weight brand recognition. We weighted whether the tool actually answered the question "is this mileage genuine?" with confidence.

The clocked-car test was particularly revealing. Some services displayed the suspect mileage without flagging the discrepancy, leaving it to the buyer to spot a 12,000-mile drop between two consecutive MOTs. Others highlighted the anomaly with a red banner and a chart. The difference is the difference between catching fraud and missing it.

DVSA MOT history (gov.uk)

The official DVSA service is the source of truth for mileage at each MOT. It is free, ad-free and reliably accurate. The interface is plain and lists each test in chronological order with the recorded mileage.

The drawback is that it stops there. If a mileage looks suspicious, you have to compare numbers manually. There is no anomaly flag, no chart and no link to other data such as advisories that might suggest swap or salvage history.

Use the GOV.UK service when you want a definitive source citation, for example when reporting a suspected fraud to Trading Standards. For day-to-day buyer decisions, pair it with one of the analytical tools below.

• DVSA MOT history: free, official record, no anomaly detection, no chart

MOT Checkup mileage check

MOT Checkup uses the same DVSA dataset and adds value on top. The mileage chart visualises the trajectory across the car's life, advisories are linked to the relevant test, and any drop or improbable jump is flagged automatically.

It is free with no card details required. The free tier is enough for most private buyers; paid AI-analysis tiers (Basic £2.99, Premium £3.99, 2-car Bundle £5.99) add richer reporting and deeper analysis. MOT Checkup does not currently surface the licensed HPI-style data layers (finance, stolen, write-off) — for those, use Total Car Check (£7.95) or HPI (£19.99).

The free free MOT history check and the paid tiers share the same anomaly detection engine. The paid tiers add deeper AI analysis and richer reporting on top of the same official DVSA + DVLA data, so the mileage analysis itself is consistent across them. Most buyers can resolve their concerns at the free tier and only upgrade if they want the deeper analysis layer.

• MOT Checkup: free, anomaly detection, mileage chart, advisory parsing, mobile-first

HPI Check

HPI is the long-established paid option, charging around £19.99 for a single check. The mileage section is one of several modules and pulls additional data from insurance write-off and finance databases.

The strength is breadth. The weakness for mileage-only buyers is paying for data they do not need. If your concern is purely odometer integrity, the free MOT Checkup view is usually sufficient.

HPI also offers a guarantee against errors in its data, which can be a meaningful benefit on high-value cars. For a £30,000 used car the £19.99 fee is trivial; for a £3,000 runabout it is a tenth of the purchase price.

• HPI Check: £19.99, mileage plus finance/stolen/write-off, comprehensive but paid

AutoTrader history (free with listing)

AutoTrader includes a basic vehicle history snapshot with most listings on its platform. It pulls MOT mileage and shows broad alerts, but the depth varies by listing tier and seller plan.

It is convenient if you are already viewing the listing, but it does not work for off-platform sellers and the anomaly detection is light. Treat it as a first sanity check rather than a final verdict.

AutoTrader, Carwow and Motorway all offer similar in-listing checks. They are best understood as a marketing layer on top of free DVSA data, designed to keep buyers on platform. None replaces an independent check before a deposit changes hands.

• AutoTrader history: free with listing, partial coverage, light anomaly detection

Verdict: which mileage check is best?

For most UK private buyers, MOT Checkup wins because it is free, anomaly-aware and mobile-first. The DVSA service is the authoritative source but lacks analysis. AutoTrader is a useful sanity check but only on its own listings. HPI is the right choice when you also need finance and stolen data.

Pair any mileage check with a quick walk-around of the car. A 30,000-mile motorway car looks different from a 30,000-mile London runabout. The numbers tell part of the story.

Check the wear pattern on the steering wheel, gear knob, driver's seat bolster and pedals. They wear in proportion to use, and a low-mileage car with heavy interior wear is suspicious regardless of what the odometer reads. The combination of an anomaly-free MOT chart and physically consistent wear is your strongest signal that the recorded mileage is genuine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mileage clocking illegal in the UK?

Selling a car with a misrepresented mileage is illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Penalties include unlimited fines and up to two years in prison.

How can I tell if a car has been clocked?

Run the registration through our free MOT history check. Look for drops between tests, gaps, or jumps that do not match the seller's story. MOT Checkup flags anomalies automatically.

Do I need to pay for a mileage check?

No. The free MOT Checkup tool is enough for most private buyers. Paid services add finance and stolen data, which are useful but separate from mileage integrity.

How far back does the DVSA mileage record go?

DVSA mileage records reliably cover MOTs from around 2005 onwards. Earlier records may be patchy. Service history can fill gaps before that.

What is an anomaly in mileage?

An anomaly is any pattern that does not match normal use. Drops between tests are red flags. Sudden jumps over short periods can also indicate a swapped odometer or odometer fault.

For free, anomaly-aware mileage checks the answer is MOT Checkup. Run any registration through our free MOT history check before paying for a wider HPI report.