Guides

• Which car brands actually last?

  33 brands ranked at the same vehicle age. The raw numbers move some by 24 places.

• Are cars getting more reliable?

  124 million MOTs say yes, for their age. The headline rate hides it.

• Is my mileage normal?

  Where a car sits against 30 million MOT odometer readings for its age.

• MOT pass rates by model

  Real pass rates and common failures for 1,500+ models, from 30 million DVSA tests.

• How early can you MOT a car?

  The month-minus-a-day rule, and what two years of DVSA results say about late MOTs, the month and the day you book.

• First MOT: which new cars fail?

  When it's due, and the makes and models that fail their first MOT most, from 1.4 million 2025 tests.

• When is my MOT due?

  The exact date from DVSA, the month-early rule and the fines.

• Pre-MOT checklist

  10 minutes on the driveway against DVSA's own inspection sections.

• What tyre size is my car?

  Where the size is printed, how to read 205/55 R16 91V, and the MOT tyre rules.

• MOT advisories

  The four defect grades and how to read a history full of them.

• Speed awareness course

  The NPCC speed bands, the fee, the 3 hours, and whether your insurer finds out.

• How many points are on my licence?

  Check your record free through DVLA in two minutes, and what 4 years, 11 years, 6 points and 12 points mean.

• Driving licence codes

  Every information code on the photocard and every endorsement code with its points, verbatim from DVLA.

• Car tax calculator

  How much tax a car pays from 1 April 2026, by registration date, fuel, CO2 and list price, from GOV.UK's rate tables.

• What year is my number plate?

  Every UK age identifier from 51 in 2001, and how March and September plates are numbered.

• Number plate check

  What a registration reveals about the vehicle, and how to read the plate itself.

• Is my car ULEZ compliant?

  The Euro standards by fuel and vehicle type, and TfL's registration-date rule of thumb.

• Are electric cars more reliable?

  Electric, petrol, diesel and hybrid MOT fail rates at the same age, and what electric cars fail on.

• UK clean air zones

  Every clean air and low emission zone outside London, and which ones charge cars.

• Vehicle recall check

  How DVSA recalls work, whether the fix is free, and the register by manufacturer.

For live petrol and diesel prices near you, from the government's Fuel Finder data, see My Fuel Prices.