MOT defects

Visibility: 39 MOT defect wordings

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 130,233,413 MOT tests · Updated 7 Oct 2026

39 visibility defect wordings were recorded 11,878,265 times in 130,233,413 MOT tests from 2022 to 2025 ^[1].

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All visibility wordings

Every wording in this section, most recorded first. Per 100 MOT tests at all ages.
Wording	Recorded as	Per 100 MOT tests
Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	minor defect	2.42
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively	fail	2.13
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid	fail	1.42
Windscreen wiper blade defective	minor defect	1.15
Windscreen washer not working	fail	0.76
Mirror slightly damaged	minor defect	0.37
Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen	fail	0.12
Mirror slightly loose	minor defect	0.11
Items removed from driver's view prior to test	advisory	0.082
Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen significantly affected by an obstruction	fail	0.078
Mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view	fail	0.065
Windscreen damaged and affecting the driver's view of the road	fail	0.057
Windscreen wiper not working	fail	0.052
Bonnet cannot be secured in the closed position	fail	0.045
Mirror insecure	fail	0.028
Mirror missing	fail	0.027
Windscreen in an unacceptable condition	fail	0.019
Bonnet primary retaining device ineffective	fail	0.018
Mirror does not provide a view to the rear	fail	0.017
Driver's view to the front outside the swept area of the windscreen wipers restricted by an obstruction	minor defect	0.017
Window damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	minor defect	0.016
Window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view	minor defect	0.015
Bonnet primary retaining device slightly deteriorated	advisory	0.015
Driver's view of an obligatory external mirror significantly affected by an obstruction	fail	0.014
Windscreen wiper blade missing	fail	0.013
Windscreen excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view	minor defect	0.012
Indirect vision device slightly damaged	minor defect	0.010
Windscreen seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view	minor defect	0.008
Windscreen in such a condition that visibility through swept area is seriously affected	fail	0.008
Windscreen wiper missing	fail	0.007
Bonnet seriously at risk of opening inadvertently	fail	0.005
Driver's view to the sides outside the swept area of the windscreen wipers restricted by an obstruction	minor defect	0.004
Bonnet primary retaining device excessively deteriorated	fail	0.003
Bonnet primary retaining device insecure	fail	0.003
Windscreen damaged and affecting the driver's view of an obligatory external mirror	fail	0.002
Indirect vision device slightly loose	minor defect	0.002
Indirect vision device insecure	fail	0.001
Indirect vision device seriously damaged, affecting the rear view	fail	0.001
Window in an unacceptable condition	fail	under 0.001

Was it on the record of the car you are looking at?

These figures are for every car tested. One car's MOT history, by registration, lists each advisory and fail item its testers recorded, and when.

Check any car's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
MOT advisory checker Paste an advisory or defect to read DVSA's wording, its grade and what tends to happen at the next MOT.

Other sections

Questions people ask

Which visibility defect do testers record most?

2.42 in 100 MOT tests record “Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view”, the most recorded wording in this section (130,233,413 MOT tests).

How many visibility wordings are fails?

25 of the 39 wordings here are fails (major or dangerous defects); the others are advisories and minor defects, which pass.

Which visibility advisory most often turns into a fail?

5.1% of wipers advisories were followed by a fail on it at the next MOT, against 2.1% for cars the same ages without one.

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Sources

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 130,233,413 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Rates are per 100 MOT tests of class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) at each age. Model comparisons are against all class 4 vehicles of the same ages and fuel, pooled over 2022 to 2025 tests: they are not matched on test year or on mileage. Advisory figures count pairs of consecutive MOT tests of the same vehicle: "next MOT" means its next test 300 to 500 days (about 10 to 16 months) later, and the no-advisory comparison is standardised to the advised vehicles' age bands. Repairs between MOTs and breakdowns are not in this data. How we compare