MOT advisory · manual section 5.2.3

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge

What this MOT advisory means, how often testers record it and what the usual repair costs. From 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

As an advisory, per 100 MOTs (n=130,233,413)18.0

Most often at14 years

Times recorded23,377,420

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 an advisory: the car passes its MOT, and the tester is warning about the part. 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.

When it gets worse, the tester records it as a fail: Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm.

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 tester fails the car when the part reaches the point the MOT inspection manual describes (section 5.2.3):

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

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
Advisory	Tread depth	worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3)	23,377,420

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 14 years: 20.8 per 100 MOTs (n=6,054,526 tests at that age).

Per 100 MOT tests of cars at each age, all makes. We show no figure below 20 tests.
Age	Advisory per 100	Tests (n)
3 years	13.6	8,016,463
4 years	14.1	8,699,937
5 years	15.4	9,425,360
6 years	16.3	10,382,720
7 years	17.0	10,537,318
8 years	17.8	10,440,457
9 years	18.5	9,949,012
10 years	19.2	9,049,507
11 years	19.9	8,087,514
12 years	20.4	7,303,151
13 years	20.6	6,612,160
14 years	20.8	6,054,526
15 years	20.8	5,591,675
16 years	20.7	4,858,625
17 years	20.3	4,040,458
18 years	19.7	3,261,622
19 years	18.8	2,479,858
20 years	17.7	1,845,952
21 years	16.6	1,321,417
22 years	15.4	913,980
23 years	14.1	619,531
24 years	12.5	428,815
25 years	11.3	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 an advisory, 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
Renault Arkana	20.3	13.5	1.5	9,867	3 to 4
Citroen C5 Aircross	20.1	13.7	1.4	10,218	3 to 4
Ford Grand C-MaxFord Grand C-Max tyre problems	27.5	19.4	1.4	145,176	3 to 14
Fiat TipoFiat Tipo tyre problems	21.9	15.6	1.4	49,704	3 to 9
Vauxhall GrandlandVauxhall Grandland tyre problems	20.1	14.3	1.4	243,753	3 to 7
Kia ProCeedfirst used 2019 or laterKia ProCeed tyre problems	19.2	13.8	1.3	15,451	3 to 6
Jeep Compassfirst used 2017 or laterJeep Compass tyre problems	20.2	14.5	1.3	31,820	3 to 7
Tesla Model Y	25.3	18.3	1.3	32,631	3
Peugeot 5008Peugeot 5008 tyre problems	24.3	17.7	1.3	130,903	3 to 15
Ford S-MaxFord S-Max tyre problems	28.6	20.9	1.3	301,431	3 to 18
Mercedes-Benz EQCMercedes-Benz EQC tyre problems	24.6	18.1	1.3	22,290	3 to 5
Cupra Formentor	17.3	12.7	1.3	21,857	3 to 4
Audi Q4 e-tron	24.3	18.1	1.3	13,928	3 to 4
Tesla Model XTesla Model X tyre problems	24.9	18.6	1.3	22,846	3 to 8
DS DS7DS DS7 tyre problems	19.7	14.8	1.3	12,453	3 to 6
Toyota Proace City	19.8	15.1	1.3	5,328	3 to 4
BMW i4	24.0	18.3	1.3	6,544	3
Tesla Model 3Tesla Model 3 tyre replacement Tesla Model 3 tyre problems	23.7	18.1	1.3	192,551	3 to 6
Ford Transit CourierFord Transit Courier tyre problems	22.5	17.2	1.3	103,155	3 to 11

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

The usual repair is tyre replacement, priced per tyre.

Median price (98 shops)£87.05

Middle half of prices£72.57 to £113.93

ONS price quotes for “CAR TYRE, STATE SIZE”, September 2025 to August 2026, UK, 2,026 quotes from 98 shops, priced per tyre. The ONS item is a tyre of a stated size; whether fitting is included is not stated. Consumer prices as quoted.

If a garage also charges labour

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.

Tyre replacement: cost and the models that need it more often

Related MOT defects

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing8.49 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
Tyre obviously under inflated0.20 per 100
Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure0.17 per 100

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

Buying a used car?

These figures describe all cars, not any one car. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report would tell you.

See an example report MOT fail rates by model All free tools

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