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 our free mileage anomaly check 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 for free; read our guides on checking MOT history and what to do after failing an MOT.
You can see a car's advisories with a free MOT check: enter the registration in our MOT history 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.