The four categories
Since May 2018 MOT defects have been recorded in categories that say how serious they are.
- Dangerous: a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or a serious impact on the environment. The vehicle fails, and you must not drive it until it is repaired.
- Major: may affect safety, put other road users at risk, or harm the environment. The vehicle fails and it must be repaired immediately.
- Minor: no significant effect on safety or the environment. The vehicle passes, and the fault should be repaired as soon as possible.
- Advisory: something to monitor, which will probably need attention in future. The vehicle passes.
Why repeat advisories matter
An advisory that appears at two or three tests in a row usually means it was never repaired. On a vehicle you are thinking of buying, that is a better guide to how it has been looked after than the pass or fail itself.
Northern Ireland
The Northern Irish record does not carry the individual defects and advisories for a test. A test from Northern Ireland shows the result and the mileage, but the detail is simply not held.
Check your own vehicle
See the MOT expiry date and full test history for any UK registration.
Sources
Related guides
- What to do if your car fails its MOT
Whether you can drive it away, how retests work, and what a dangerous defect changes.
- What is checked in an MOT test?
The parts of the vehicle a tester looks at, what is not covered, and the simple checks worth doing before you go.