MOT minor defect · manual section 5.2.2

Tyre obviously under inflated

What this MOT minor defect means, how often testers record it and what garages charge per hour. From 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

As a minor defect, per 100 MOTs (n=130,233,413)0.20

Most often at18 years

Times recorded261,241

Times recorded adds every DVSA code with this wording, so a test can record it more than once, for example on two wheels under separate codes.

What it means

This is a minor defect: the car passes its MOT and the defect is recorded. 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.

Tyres are checked for tread depth, cuts, bulges, exposed cords and other damage. For a car, the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the whole tyre.

The MOT inspection manual describes it (section 5.2.2) as:

Tyre obviously under inflated

Read this section of the MOT inspection manual on GOV.UK

The DVSA codes counted on this page: the manual item and the defect text as DVSA records them. The heading above joins the two, as a certificate does; the tester also adds the position, such as nearside front.
Result	Manual item	DVSA defect text	Records
Minor defect	Condition	obviously under inflated (5.2.2)	261,241

Got an MOT advisory or defect on a certificate? Paste it into the MOT advisory checker to see what it means.

How common it is by age

Testers record it most at 18 years: 0.38 per 100 MOTs (n=3,261,622 tests at that age).

Per 100 MOT tests of cars at each age, all makes. We show no figure below 20 tests.
Age	Minor defect per 100	Tests (n)
3 years	0.065	8,016,463
4 years	0.059	8,699,937
5 years	0.063	9,425,360
6 years	0.072	10,382,720
7 years	0.086	10,537,318
8 years	0.11	10,440,457
9 years	0.16	9,949,012
10 years	0.21	9,049,507
11 years	0.27	8,087,514
12 years	0.31	7,303,151
13 years	0.33	6,612,160
14 years	0.35	6,054,526
15 years	0.37	5,591,675
16 years	0.38	4,858,625
17 years	0.38	4,040,458
18 years	0.38	3,261,622
19 years	0.37	2,479,858
20 years	0.36	1,845,952
21 years	0.34	1,321,417
22 years	0.32	913,980
23 years	0.30	619,531
24 years	0.27	428,815
25 years	0.24	313,355

Models that get it most

Each model generation is compared with cars of the same ages and fuel, so older and diesel models are not penalised for their age or fuel. Generations are never pooled.

Model generations with the highest rate as a minor defect, against cars of the same ages and fuel. A model’s figure counts this defect only at ages where it is among that model’s 25 most recorded items, and as zero elsewhere, so it is a floor. Tests (n) are all the generation’s MOT tests at ages with at least 1,000 tests each; at least 5,000 in total.
Model	Per 100 MOTs, at least	Same ages and fuel	Times as often	Tests (n)	Ages
Toyota Corollafirst used 2019 or laterToyota Corolla tyre problems	0.064	0.046	1.3	181,405	3 to 6

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Repair and cost

We do not map this defect to one repair job, because the fix depends on the cause. Garages charge by the hour, so ask for a quote that lists labour time and parts.

Local garage labour, per hour (65 shops)£78

Local garage, middle half£70 to £96

Main dealer labour, per hour (62 shops)£156

Main dealer, middle half£144 to £174

Median hourly rate charged for car repairs, from 1,058 local garage and 953 main dealer price quotes collected by the ONS, September 2025 to August 2026. The same shops are priced each month, so the number of shops is the real sample.

Related MOT defects

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge18.0 per 100
Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing8.49 per 100
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.40 per 100
Tyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.35 per 100
Tyre has ply or cords exposed1.34 per 100
Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.31 per 100
Tyre slightly damaged0.65 per 100
Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure0.56 per 100
Tyre has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure0.44 per 100
Tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative0.38 per 100

All axles, wheels, tyres and suspension defects All MOT defects Car repair costs

Buying a used car?

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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. Prices: ONS consumer price inflation price quotes, September 2025 to August 2026, UK.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026. Prices updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA or the Office for National Statistics. How we calculate these figures · Data sources