MOT guides
What does an MOT advisory mean?
An advisory is the MOT tester's heads-up about something to keep an eye on. Ignore them at your peril.
Advisory vs failure
If an item is worn but still within legal limits, the tester records it as an advisory and the vehicle passes. If it is below the limit, it becomes a minor, major or dangerous defect. Advisories are early warnings — brake pads getting thin, a tyre wearing down, light corrosion starting.
Why advisories matter when buying
A pattern of repeated advisories that never get fixed tells you how a car has been looked after. Our per-vehicle report surfaces the full advisory history so you can see what keeps coming up — and ask the seller whether it was ever addressed.
Check any UK reg free for its full MOT history plus a statistical next-MOT failure-risk estimate.
Frequently asked questions
No. The vehicle passes, but an advisory flags something starting to wear that may need attention before the next MOT.
Not immediately, but ignoring them risks a failure — or an unsafe car — at the next test. Safety-related advisories should be checked promptly.