What an advisory is
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not stop the car passing: a tyre close to the legal limit, brake pads wearing thin, a little surface rust, a slight oil leak. It is written on the MOT certificate and kept in the car's MOT history so the owner knows what to keep an eye on.
Advisories are not defects. The tester is saying "this is fine today, but it is wearing or may need attention soon".
How advisories differ from defects
Since 20 May 2018 every defect found at an MOT is put into one of three DVSA categories. Advisories sit outside them.
| Item | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defect | Fail | A direct risk to road safety or the environment. The car should not be driven until it is fixed. |
| Major defect | Fail | Could affect safety or the environment. Must be fixed and retested. |
| Minor defect | Pass | No significant effect on safety, but should be repaired as soon as possible. The car passes "with defects". |
| Advisory | Pass | Not a defect. Something to monitor that may need work later. |
Tests before May 2018 only show fails and advisories, so older records do not have minors.
How to read advisories when buying
Look at each advisory alongside the test it came from.
- The date. An advisory from last month is a job the next owner is likely to pay for. One from five years ago matters only if it keeps appearing.
- The mileage. Brake pads "wearing thin" at the last test, with 10,000 miles driven since, may already be at the limit.
- The next test. If an advisory disappears at the next MOT, it was most likely fixed. If it turns into a fail, it was left until it had to be done.
The most common advisories are wear items. Our defect pages explain what each one means and how serious it is:
- Tyre tread depth low
- Brake pads worn thin
- Brake disc worn, pitted or scored
- Brake pipe corroded
- Corrosion in the vehicle structure
- Oil leak
- Suspension bush worn
See all MOT defects explained for the rest.
What repeated advisories tell you
The same advisory, test after test, means the part was not fixed. Sometimes that is fine: slight surface rust can sit unchanged for years. But a brake, tyre, suspension or corrosion advisory repeated for two or three years tells you the owner did the minimum, and the job is still waiting.
When you see one:
- Budget for it. Price the repair and take it off your offer.
- Ask the seller for receipts. If they say it was done, a garage invoice dated after the last MOT proves it.
- Look at the part yourself at the viewing, or ask a mechanic to.
RegTail's free check shows the latest test with its advisories, and how many from the test before came back. The full report flags advisories that keep coming back, with the years each was noted. Any odds it gives are an estimate, not an inspection.
What advisories do not tell you
An advisory is what one tester saw on one day. It does not cover the engine's internal condition, the clutch or the gearbox, and it does not show servicing. A car with no advisories is not guaranteed to be in good order, and testers differ in how much they note. Advisories also say nothing about outstanding finance, theft or insurance write-offs. For the wider picture, read how to read an MOT history.