What Are MOT Advisories and Should You Fix Them?

What Are MOT Advisories?

An MOT advisory is a note the tester adds about a part that is wearing but has not yet reached the point of failing. The car still passes with an advisory, so it is not a fail. It is a helpful early warning that something may need attention before it becomes a problem at a future test.

Common advisories include a tyre with tread getting low but still legal, the early signs of corrosion, a brake pad wearing down or a slight play in a joint. None of these are bad enough to fail on the day, though the tester is flagging them so you can plan ahead. Our overview on What Is an MOT explains how the pass and fail categories work.

Think of an advisory as the tester doing you a favour. Rather than waiting for a part to fail, it gives you notice while there is still time to plan a repair on your own terms. Acting on advisories is one of the best ways to avoid a surprise fail next year.

Advisory, Minor, Major and Dangerous

It helps to see how an advisory sits alongside the other outcomes of a test. The table below sets out what each means for your car.

So an advisory and a minor fault both pass, while major and dangerous faults fail. An advisory is the gentlest of these, a look ahead rather than a problem on the day. Our guide on When Your Car Fails an MOT explains what happens when a car does fail.

When to Act on an Advisory

You do not have to fix an advisory straight away, since the car has passed. The sensible question is not whether to act but when. Some advisories are more urgent than others, so it is worth understanding what has been flagged rather than ignoring the list.

A tyre that is close to the legal limit or a brake pad wearing thin is worth sorting soon, since these can become a fail or a safety issue quite quickly. A note about very early corrosion may simply need watching. A good garage can talk you through which advisories to prioritise. Our guide on Top Reasons Cars Fail MOT covers the parts that most often turn into failures.

Where to See Your Advisories

Your advisories are recorded in two places. They are printed on the pass certificate you receive and stored on the online MOT history against your registration. That means you can look them up at any time, even long after the test.

This record is useful for planning and for buying a used car. A history of the same advisory appearing year after year suggests a niggle that was never dealt with, while a clean record with few advisories points to a well kept car. Our guide on How to Check MOT History explains how to read the full history online.

The Advisories Drivers See Most Often

Some advisories come up far more than others, so knowing them helps you make sense of your list. A tyre with tread wearing low but still above the limit is one of the most common, as is a brake pad getting thin. The early signs of corrosion on the underside, a slight weep from a shock absorber and a small amount of play in a joint also feature regularly.

None of these mean the car is unsafe today, though each is a sign of normal wear that will eventually need attention. Treating the list as a simple to do plan for the year ahead is the smart approach. Dealing with the more pressing items, such as a low tyre or a thin brake pad, before your next test turns an advisory into a routine repair rather than a fail. Our guide on Top Reasons Cars Fail MOT covers the parts that most often become failures.

Stay Ahead of Repairs

This guide is part of our full MOT Guides hub, where the testing, cost and rules articles sit together so you can move to the exact detail you need next. When it is time to book, our team offers full MOT testing and repairs from our centre in Ely. You may also find it useful to read When Your Car Fails an MOT, How to Check MOT History and Top Reasons Cars Fail MOT.

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