# MOT Advisories Explained: What They Mean for a Used Car

Published 27 September 2026, updated 10 October 2026. CarCheckUp guide: https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/mot-advisories-explained-what-they-mean-for-a-used-car/

> MOT advisories aren't failures, but they tell you a lot about a used car. Here is what advisories and the other defect types mean, and how to read them before you buy.

Every MOT result lists what the tester found. A car can pass and still have a list of **advisories**. They are one of the most useful things to read before buying a used car, because they show what is wearing out and whether previous owners dealt with it.

## The four types of MOT result item

Since May 2018, MOT items are grouped into categories:

- **Dangerous:** a direct risk to road safety or the environment. The car fails and shouldn't be driven until it is repaired.
- **Major:** could affect safety or the environment. The car fails and must be repaired.
- **Minor:** no significant effect on safety. The car passes, but it should be repaired as soon as possible.
- **Advisory:** something that could become a problem later, such as a tyre close to the legal limit or light corrosion. The car passes; the item should be monitored.

## Common advisories and what they tell you

- **Tyres wearing close to the legal limit:** the legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread. Budget for new tyres.
- **Brake discs or pads worn:** normal wear, but it's a cost to plan for.
- **Corrosion:** light surface corrosion is common on older cars; corrosion on brake pipes, suspension or the underbody is more serious.
- **Oil leaks and suspension wear:** worth having looked at before you buy.

## How to read advisories across the MOT history

A single advisory is normal. What matters is the pattern:

- **The same advisory year after year** suggests the owner lets problems wait until they fail.
- **Advisories that become fails** show how the car was maintained.
- **A clean history followed by a long list** may mean a change of owner or years of low maintenance.
- **A fail followed by a pass the same day** is normal: the garage repaired the faults and retested the car.

The MOT history also records the mileage at each test, which is how the [mileage anomaly check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/mot-history-mileage-check) in our full report spots readings that go down.

## Use advisories when negotiating

Advisories give you a clear, independent list of work the car will need soon. Get rough prices for tyres, brakes or corrosion repairs and use them when agreeing a price.

## Key points

- Advisories don't fail an MOT, but they show what the car will need soon.
- Look for patterns across years, not single items.
- Check the full [MOT history](https://carcheckup.co.uk/mot-check) for free; read our guides on [checking MOT history](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/check-the-mot-history-of-a-vehicle-free-vehicle-mot-check-uk/) and [what to do after failing an MOT](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/what-to-do-after-failing-an-mot-test-your-top-questions-answered/).

You can see a car's advisories with a **free MOT check**: enter the registration in our [MOT history check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/mot-check) to see every test since 2005, with its result, mileage, failures and advisories. It is the same **MOT history check** data the DVSA holds.