How to Correct a Mistake on Your MOT Record

The short answer

If a detail on your MOT record is wrong, you can report it to DVSA with an online form on gov.uk. Gov.uk published its guidance page for the form on 27 October 2026. The form covers mistakes in the mileage, if the MOT was more than 28 days ago. It also covers the colour, make, model or fuel type, the country of registration, and the MOT centre's name or location.

It doesn't cover results. You can't use it to change or remove a test result, a defect or an advisory. If you think the result itself is wrong, that's an appeal, and appeals have time limits.

First, read the record as it stands. The free MOT history service shows each test since 2005, with the date, result and mileage, plus the defects and advisories for tests in England, Scotland and Wales. Note the test date and test number of the entry that's wrong, because you'll need them if you're correcting the mileage or the test centre. Our free car check shows the same MOT history, with the mileage at every test in order.

One exception. If the MOT was done in Northern Ireland, you can't use the form. You'll need to contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) instead.

Part of our guide to MOT, road tax and staying legal.

What the form can fix

Use the form to report a mistake with:

• the mileage, if the MOT was more than 28 days ago
• the colour, make, model or fuel type of the vehicle
• the country where the vehicle was registered
• the name or location of the MOT centre

A few mistakes take a different route. These are a wrong mileage where the test was in the last 28 days, a wrong MOT due date, and a test that's missing or shouldn't be there. You can still start with the same form. It tells you how to report them instead.

What it can't fix: results, defects and advisories

The form can't change or remove MOT results, defects or advisory items. Those are the tester's judgement on the day. To challenge them, you appeal to DVSA. Gov.uk's problems with your test result page sets out how.

You can appeal if your vehicle failed, or if it passed but you think it should have failed. Don't have any repairs done until the appeal process has finished.

If the car failed, talk to the test centre about the result before anyone starts repairs. Then fill in the complaint form and send it to DVSA within 14 working days of the test. DVSA will contact you within 5 days to discuss your appeal.

If DVSA rechecks a car that failed, you pay the full test fee again. If that appeal is successful, you'll be refunded the test fee.

If the car passed but you think it should have failed, the limits are different. You have 3 months for a corrosion-related problem and 28 days for other defects. There's no fee to pay again for a recheck.

An advisory isn't a fail. If you're unsure what one means, read our guide to what MOT advisories mean.

What you'll need before you start

Have these to hand:

• your name, address, phone number and email address
• your driving licence number
• the vehicle details, such as the make and model
• the vehicle's registration number
• the vehicle identification number (VIN)
• the MOT details, such as the test date and number, if you're correcting the mileage or MOT centre details

The test date and number are on the MOT certificate and on the online history. Have them ready before you open the form, not halfway through it.

The evidence rule for mileage

To correct a mileage, you'll need to upload a document. It must be one of these:

• an invoice
• an emissions printout
• a service receipt
• the vehicle's service history
• a vehicle job card or inspection sheet from the MOT centre

Whatever you upload must show three things. The registration number or VIN, the mileage, and a date within one day of the MOT test. A service receipt from three weeks later won't do.

Two things don't count. You can't use an MOT certificate, and you can't use a photo of the dashboard display showing the mileage. The certificate repeats the figure you're disputing, and a dashboard photo could be taken at any time.

If you've nothing from that day, ask the test centre for the job card or inspection sheet. Whether the centre still has it is a question for them.

Once you've sent the form, you'll usually get a reply within 8 weeks, but it may take longer.

Why a wrong mileage matters to a buyer

A mistyped mileage on one test can make the record read as if the car has gone backwards. Say a car's 2023 test recorded 52,000 miles. At the 2024 test the odometer read 61,000, but the tester entered 16,000 by mistake. The 2025 test shows 72,000.

To anyone reading the history, the mileage fell and then jumped, which is exactly the pattern that points to clocking.

A buyer doesn't know it was a typo. They see a falling figure and either walk away or knock down the price. Our guide to spotting a clocked car explains how buyers read the mileage trail, and a drop between tests is one of the red flags it names.

So if you own the car, report the mistake before you sell, not after a buyer finds it. A reply usually comes within 8 weeks but can take longer, and that's a long time to have a car on sale with a history you have to explain.

If you're the buyer, a seller who says "the tester got it wrong" may well be telling the truth. Ask to see the evidence the form would need: an invoice, a service receipt or a job card from that date, showing the real figure. If they have it, you've got your answer. If they don't, treat the drop as an open question.

Common questions