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What do MOT advisories mean, and what will they cost?

Enter a registration and we turn the last MOT's advisories and defects into plain English, with a typical independent garage price for each, how soon it needs doing and a rough total. Free, with no sign-up.

Free. No sign-up. Works for cars, vans, motorbikes and motorhomes.

What you get, free

  • Every advisory and defect from the last MOT, in plain English
  • A typical garage price for each, parts and labour
  • How soon each one needs doing: fix first, soon or watch
  • A rough total for the known work
  • A haggle sheet that turns the total into an opening offer
  • A viewing checklist built from what the check found
See it in the sample report

A worked example

The last MOT, priced in seconds

This made-up BMW 3 Series from our sample report passed its last MOT with 3 advisories. Read on their own they are just tester's notes. Priced, they come to about £280 to £630, which is the work you would take off your offer if the seller has not had it done.

See the haggle sheet for this car

What the last MOT found, in plain English

From the test on 7 August 2026, with a rough cost to put each one right

Rough total

£280 to £630

  • SoonTyres

    A tyre is close to the 1.6mm legal minimum and will need replacing soon.

    Tester wrote: Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge

    £60 to £150per tyre

  • SoonBrakes

    The brake discs are worn, pitted or scored. They are usually replaced together with the pads.

    Tester wrote: Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened

    £150 to £320per axle

  • SoonDrive

    A driveshaft boot is split. Grease escapes and the joint underneath wears out.

    Tester wrote: Nearside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot slightly damaged

    £70 to £160

Typical prices at an independent garage, parts and labour, for a guide only: they vary with the vehicle, the area and the garage. Ask the seller whether any of these have been done, and use the total when you talk about price.

Price guide

What common MOT advisories cost to fix

Typical prices at an independent UK garage, parts and labour, in 2026. The same figures the free check uses, given as ranges because the vehicle, the area and the garage all change the cost.

Tyres

  • SoonTyre worn close to the legal limit

    £60 to £150per tyre

    A tyre is close to the 1.6mm legal minimum and will need replacing soon.

  • SoonTyre damaged or cracked

    £60 to £150per tyre

    A tyre has damage or ageing cracks. A bulge, a cut or cords showing means replace it straight away.

Brakes

  • SoonBrake pads wearing thin

    £80 to £180per axle

    The brake pads are wearing thin.

  • SoonBrake discs worn or pitted

    £150 to £320per axle

    The brake discs are worn, pitted or scored. They are usually replaced together with the pads.

  • SoonBrake pipe or hose corroded

    £70 to £250

    A brake pipe or hose is corroded or deteriorating. Left alone it can fail.

  • SoonParking brake weak

    £50 to £180

    The parking brake is weak or a cable is worn.

Suspension

  • SoonShock absorber leaking or worn

    £150 to £350per pair

    A shock absorber is leaking or worn, so the ride and braking suffer.

  • SoonRoad spring corroded or broken

    £120 to £280per spring

    A road spring is corroded or broken.

  • WatchAnti roll bar link or bush worn

    £60 to £160

    An anti-roll bar link or bush is worn. Often a knocking noise over bumps.

  • SoonSuspension ball joint worn

    £80 to £220

    A suspension ball joint is worn.

  • WatchSuspension arm bush worn

    £120 to £300per arm

    A suspension arm bush is worn.

  • SoonWheel bearing worn

    £120 to £300

    A wheel bearing is worn. Usually a rumble that rises with speed.

Drive

  • SoonDriveshaft boot split

    £70 to £160

    A driveshaft boot is split. Grease escapes and the joint underneath wears out.

  • SoonDriveshaft joint worn

    £150 to £350

    A driveshaft joint is worn. Listen for clicking on full lock.

Steering

  • SoonPower steering leaking

    £80 to £300

    The power steering is leaking fluid.

  • SoonSteering joint or gaiter worn

    £60 to £160

    A steering joint or gaiter is worn.

Fuel

  • Fix firstFuel leak

    £60 to £300

    A fuel leak. Get it fixed before the car is driven far.

Exhaust and emissions

  • WatchEmissions borderline

    £100 to £900

    Emissions are borderline or an emissions part is faulty. Causes range from a service to a new catalyst.

  • WatchExhaust corroded or leaking

    £80 to £400

    The exhaust is corroded or leaking.

Engine

  • WatchEngine mounting worn

    £80 to £260

    An engine mounting is worn. Often felt as a clunk when pulling away.

Body and structure

  • WatchCorrosion near a structural area

    £150 to £900

    Corrosion on or near a structural area. If it gets worse it needs welding, which can be costly.

  • WatchSurface corrosion

    Up to £200

    Surface corrosion to keep an eye on.

  • SoonNumber plate damaged or faded

    £20 to £45

    A number plate is damaged, faded or incorrect.

Visibility

  • WatchWindscreen chip or crack

    Up to £400

    Windscreen damage. Small chips can often be repaired, and many insurance policies cover it.

  • WatchWiper blade or washer

    £15 to £45

    A wiper blade or washer needs attention.

  • WatchMirror damaged or loose

    £30 to £180

    A mirror is damaged or loose.

Lights

  • SoonLight not working or aimed wrongly

    £10 to £60

    A light is not working or is aimed wrongly.

Electrical

  • SoonHorn not working

    £30 to £90

    The horn is not working properly.

Seat belts

  • SoonSeat belt damaged

    £80 to £250

    A seat belt is damaged or not working properly.

A guide only, not a quote. Main dealers usually charge more. A defect marked dangerous or major on the MOT is always shown as fix first, whatever it is.

Advisories, minors and majors

Since May 2018, MOT testers sort what they find into categories. Dangerous and major defects mean the vehicle fails. Minor defects are recorded but the vehicle still passes. Advisories are things the tester expects to need attention soon, such as a tyre close to the legal limit or brake discs starting to wear.

Advisories are the useful part when you are buying. The car passed, but the tester has told you where the next bills are coming from. Most buyers skim past them. We put each one into plain English and give it a price, so you can see what the car will cost you after you buy it.

How we price each advisory

Each price is a typical range for an independent UK garage, parts and labour, in 2026. The ranges are deliberately wide because the cost depends on the vehicle, the area and the garage, and main dealers usually charge more. Tyres are priced per tyre and brakes per axle, as the report says.

Some advisories cannot be priced without a garage looking first, such as an oil leak whose source is not known. We show those as needing a look rather than guess a figure. Treat every price as a guide for a conversation with the seller, not a quote.

Turn the total into an opening offer

The haggle sheet adds up the priced work into one range. Type in the asking price and it takes the known work off to suggest an opening offer. With the full history check for £7.99, it also sets the asking price against the car's private and dealer valuations.

Ask the seller whether each item has been done, and ask to see the receipt. If it has, the advisory is history. If it has not, the total is a fair reason to offer less, and the next MOT will show whether it was ever fixed.

Questions

MOT advisories: common questions

What is an MOT advisory?
An advisory is something the MOT tester noticed that is not bad enough to fail the test but is likely to need attention soon, such as worn brake discs, a tyre near the legal limit or light corrosion. Every advisory is kept on the vehicle's MOT history, so you can see them for any vehicle.
Does an advisory mean the car is unsafe?
Not on its own. The car passed its MOT. An advisory is a warning that something is wearing or needs watching. Dangerous and major defects are different: they fail the test. A car with several advisories is not unsafe, but it may need money spending on it soon.
Will an advisory fail the next MOT?
It can if it is left. Tyres and brakes keep wearing, and corrosion spreads. The free check also shows a watch list of problems found on two or more separate test days in the last three years, which is a good sign of work that keeps being put off.
How accurate are the prices?
They are a guide, not a quote: typical prices at an independent UK garage for parts and labour in 2026, given as ranges because the vehicle, the area and the garage all change the cost. Main dealers usually charge more. Get a quote before you rely on a figure.
Is it really free?
Yes. The priced advisories, the haggle sheet and the viewing checklist are part of the free check, with no sign-up. The full history check for £7.99 adds outstanding finance, write-offs, the police stolen record and a valuation.
Which vehicles can I check?
Any UK car, van, motorbike or motorhome with an MOT history. Records go back to 2005 in Great Britain and 2017 in Northern Ireland. A vehicle under three years old will not have had an MOT yet, so it will have no advisories to show.
Can I tell whether the work has been done?
Not from the MOT record alone: it shows what the tester found on the day. Ask the seller for receipts. If the item does not appear again at the next MOT, it was probably fixed.
Where does the MOT data come from?
From DVSA MOT history records, used under the Open Government Licence. The plain English explanations and the prices are Vettly's own guide.

See what a car's advisories will cost