MOT defects

List of MOT defects and advisories, by section

Every MOT advisory, minor defect and fail wording seen in at least 1,000 records across 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests (2022 to 2025): 1,031 wordings, grouped by section of the MOT inspection manual. Each page says what the defect means, how often testers record it and what the usual repair costs.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

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The 20 most recorded defects

Records per 100 MOT tests at all ages (n=130,233,413 tests).
Defect wording	Recorded as	Per 100 MOTs
Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge	Advisory	18.0
Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	Advisory	8.74
Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing	Advisory	8.49
Brake pad(s) wearing thin	Advisory	7.61
Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement	Advisory	4.92
Oil leak, but not excessive	Advisory	4.59
Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material	Advisory	3.80
Coil spring corroded	Advisory	3.09
Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources	Minor defect	3.00
Shock absorber has light misting of oil	Advisory	2.89
Position lamp not working	Fail	2.54
Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	Minor defect	2.42
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Fail	2.40
Coil spring fractured or broken	Fail	2.37
Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread	Advisory	2.34
Brake disc worn, but not excessively	Advisory	2.30
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively	Fail	2.13
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	Advisory	2.03
Stop lamp not working	Fail	1.94
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases	Advisory	1.92

Identification of the vehicle

8 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Brakes

183 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Steering

77 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Visibility

39 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

206 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Axles, wheels, tyres and suspension

259 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Body, structure and attachments

158 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Other equipment

30 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Nuisance: noise, emissions and leaks

56 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

Other advisories and older defect codes

15 defect wordings, most recorded first. Figures are records per 100 MOT tests.

How to read these pages

A dangerous defect is a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The car fails its MOT and should not be driven until it is repaired. A major defect may affect the car’s safety, put other road users at risk or harm the environment. The car fails its MOT and the defect must be repaired.

A minor defect has no significant effect on safety or the environment. The car passes its MOT and the defect is recorded on the certificate. It should be repaired as soon as possible. An advisory is something the tester noticed that could become a defect later. The car passes its MOT. The advice is to monitor the part and repair it if it gets worse.

Each page is one wording, as it appears on an MOT certificate: the manual item name followed by the defect text. Where one DVSA code has an advisory wording and a fail wording, each has its own page and the two link to each other. DVSA records some wordings under more than one code, for example front and rear; a page adds those codes together, so a test that records two of them counts twice. Repair prices are in car repair costs.

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Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025, and the MOT inspection manual published on GOV.UK.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources