Free tool

MOT advisory decoder

An MOT advisory is a note from the tester about something that isn't bad enough to fail the test but is worth watching, so the car still passes. Paste an advisory or failure line from an MOT history and we'll tell you which part of the car it's about, what the MOT inspection manual says would turn it into a fail, and what to ask the seller. Nothing you type leaves your browser, and there's no registration box.

Published by CarCheckHQ · Updated 24 October 2026. Written by the CarCheckHQ team.

What the decoder shows you

Each line you paste gets its own result.

What each result shows

• What you pasted, exactly as you pasted it.
• Area of the car, for example "Brakes > Brake linings and pads", plus any position words such as "Nearside Front".
• What this means, in plain English.
• What the MOT manual says: the section number and title, linked to that page of the manual on GOV.UK, with the defects listed there and whether each is Minor, Major or Dangerous.
• Questions to ask the seller or the garage.
• How sure we are: "Exact reference match", "Close text match", "Possible matches" or "No confident match". If we're not sure, we say so.

Messages you might see

• Only a label pasted (such as "ADVISORY"): Paste the whole line from the MOT history, not just the label.
• A registration number in the text: We removed what looks like a registration number. You don't need it here.
• Older test wording: This wording matches the MOT standard used before 20 May 2018. Section numbers on older tests refer to an earlier manual, so we can only show a rough match.
• A section number that no longer exists: This section number isn't in the current manual, so we've matched the words instead.
• Tester's own words: Some advisories are written by the tester in their own words, so they may not match the manual wording.
• Goods vehicle wording: This applies to goods vehicles (class 7).
• Too long: We've decoded the first 2,000 characters. Paste the rest separately.

Share your result

Copy summary copies a short text version: the advisory wording, the part of the car, the manual section link and the seller questions, ending with a link back to this decoder. Download image makes a picture card of the same thing in your browser. Neither includes a registration number or anything about you, and nothing is uploaded.

Advisory, minor, major, dangerous: what they mean

Since 20 May 2018, MOT testers in England, Scotland and Wales sort problems into categories. This is how GOV.UK explains them:

• Dangerous Fail. A direct and immediate risk to road safety or a serious impact on the environment. Don't drive the vehicle until it's been repaired.
• Major Fail. It may affect the vehicle's safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment. Repair it immediately.
• Minor Pass. No significant effect on safety or the environment. Repair as soon as possible.
• Advisory Pass. It could become more serious in the future. Monitor it and repair it if necessary.

The manual tells testers to use an advisory when an item "is not sufficiently deteriorated to justify rejection", and says it's good practice to advise on items that are near to, but haven't reached, the point of failure. A minor defect is different: testers must record it where it applies, while advisories are optional.

A worked example

Say the history shows: Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

• Area of the car: Brakes > Brake linings and pads, on the front left (nearside is the side nearest the kerb in the UK).
• What the manual says: section 1.1.13 lists "Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator" as a Major defect and "Brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm" as Dangerous.
• What it means for you: at the time of that test the pads were wearing but hadn't reached either of those points. Pads are a normal wear item. The question is whether they've been replaced since.
• Ask: Have the front pads been replaced since that MOT? Can I see the invoice? Were the discs checked at the same time?

Section guide: the parts of the MOT in plain English

Every advisory with a number in brackets points to a section of the MOT inspection manual. The first number tells you which part of the car it's about.

Advisories about rust often refer to the manual's Appendix A on structural integrity and corrosion. It explains that the structure within 30cm of brake, steering, suspension and seat belt mounting points gets particular attention.

Should I buy a car with MOT advisories?

Advisories are common and they don't stop a car passing. What matters is what they are, whether they keep coming back, and whether anything has been done about them. When you read the history:

1. Look for repeats. The same advisory at test after test, especially on brakes, tyres, steering, suspension or corrosion, tells you it hasn't been dealt with.
2. Check what happened next. Did the advisory turn into a minor or major item at the following test? Was it gone after a repair?
3. Ask for proof. An invoice or a garage note for the work is better than "it's been done".
4. Get it looked at. If an advisory is about safety or structure, have a mechanic you trust inspect the car before you pay. This tool can't see the car.
5. Check the dates. A car that's due an MOT soon may need the advisory items fixed to pass.

You can see a car's MOT results and the mileage recorded at each test on the free GOV.UK MOT history service. For tests in England, Scotland and Wales it also shows what failed and any minor problems at each test.

If the mileage recorded at each test looks low or high for the car's age, our mileage for age checker shows how it compares. Our MOT study shows how MOT results vary with a car's age, fuel and mileage, and our used-car buying checklist covers the other checks to do before you pay.

Common questions

What this decoder can't tell you

This decoder explains MOT wording using the published defect list and the current MOT inspection manual. It can't see the car and doesn't know why the tester made the note. An advisory means the tester saw something worth watching. It doesn't tell you how soon it will need work or what it will cost. Older tests (before 20 May 2018) used a different manual, so matches for those are approximate. Northern Ireland MOT records may not include defect details. Ask a qualified mechanic before you decide anything about safety or repairs.

How we built it and sources

The decoder matches what you paste against the defect wording in the anonymised MOT data published on GOV.UK's open data site, and links each match to the section of the current MOT inspection manual. It doesn't call any vehicle lookup or MOT history service. The plain-English lines and seller questions on this page are our own, written from the manual text only.

• GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles and its introduction
• GOV.UK: MOT changes, 20 May 2018 (the defect categories table)
• GOV.UK: Getting an MOT: after the test
• GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle
• Open data: Anonymised MOT tests and results (defect wording and item lists)
• MOT history API documentation (used only to understand how advisory lines are formatted)
• Open Government Licence v3.0

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Defect wording from the anonymised MOT data and the MOT inspection manual. CarCheckHQ is independent and isn't affiliated with DVSA. Not endorsed by DVSA.