Data Sources

MOTScout uses exclusively official UK government datasets. All data is publicly available under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

1. Active MOT Test Stations (DVSA)

• Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
• Format: CSV — 23,085 active test stations
• Fields: Station name, address, postcode, phone, vehicle classes tested (1–7)
• Coverage: England, Scotland, Wales
• Last updated: December 2024
• Limitations: Opening hours not included. Some stations may have closed since the dataset was published.

2. Anonymised MOT Test Results (DfT)

• Source: Department for Transport (DfT)
• Format: CSV (compressed ZIP) — approximately 43 million tests per year
• Fields: Vehicle make, model, test date, result (pass/fail), mileage, postcode area, failure items
• Coverage: All MOT tests in Great Britain from 2005 onwards
• Used for: Pass rates by make/model, common failure analysis, area statistics, mileage data
• Limitations: Data is anonymised — no vehicle registration numbers or exact locations. Postcode area (first 1-2 letters) is the finest geographic detail.

3. MOT Test Fees

• Source: GOV.UK — MOT test fees
• Notes: Maximum fees are set by law. Many garages charge less than the maximum.

Data Processing

We aggregate raw government data into statistics (pass rates, failure frequencies, area comparisons). No data is estimated or interpolated. Where sample sizes are small (<100 tests), we note this on the page.

Updates

We update our data when new government datasets are released, typically annually for test results and quarterly for station listings.