Data-Driven Vehicle Reviews

What Makes Our Reviews Different

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Built on Real Data

Every CarHunch review is generated from official DVLA MOT test records. We analyse pass/fail history, defect categories, advisory patterns, and mileage trajectories — not opinions scraped from forums or manufacturer marketing.

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Peer-Compared

We don't look at a vehicle in isolation. Every car is compared against up to 200 vehicles of the same make, model, and year bracket. You see whether this specific car is above or below average for its cohort.

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Pattern-Detected

Recurring advisories, escalating defect severity, and abnormal failure rates are surfaced automatically. A single brake advisory might mean nothing — three consecutive brake advisories across MOTs is a clear signal.

What We Analyse

MOT pass/fail history — Complete timeline of every MOT test with outcome, date, and mileage reading. See at a glance whether a vehicle has a clean record or a pattern of failures.
Defect breakdown by category — Defects grouped into brake issues, suspension, emissions, lighting, tyres, safety systems, and rust/corrosion. Each category shows frequency and severity (advisory to minor to major to dangerous).
Failure rate vs. peers — This vehicle's MOT failure rate compared to the average for its make, model, and age band. A 2017 Ford Focus that fails 40% of tests when the average is 15% is a red flag.
Mileage trajectory — Annual mileage calculated from odometer readings across MOT tests. Spot clocking (suspiciously low jumps), heavy use, or inconsistent readings.
Repeat advisory detection — Advisories that appear on 2+ consecutive MOTs flagged automatically. These are the defects most likely to become failures on the next test.
Dangerous defect history — Any defects classified as dangerous (immediate safety risk) are highlighted separately. Even one dangerous defect in a vehicle's history is worth knowing about.
Reliability score — A 1–10 score calculated from failure rate, defect frequency, dangerous defect history, and mileage trajectory relative to the peer group.

A Real Example

2017 Vauxhall Astra 1.4T — searched on CarHunch

6 MOT tests on record, 2 failures (33% failure rate — peer average is 18%)
Brake advisories on 3 consecutive tests (2021, 2022, 2023)
Suspension defect flagged as "dangerous" in 2022
Mileage consistent at ~9,000/year (no clocking risk)
Reliability score: 3.8 / 10

A private seller listed this car as "full MOT, drives great." The MOT data tells a different story.

Who This Is For

1

Used car buyers

Know what you're buying before you negotiate.

2

Fleet managers

Screen vehicles at scale without manual MOT lookups.

3

Dealers and traders

Price stock accurately based on actual condition data.

See how we compare vehicles against their peers for the full picture.