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MOT defects · Brakes

Binding brake MOT advisory: what it means and which cars get it

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, testers recorded this as an advisory on at least 0.9 in 100 and as a failure on at least 0.3 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Peugeot 107 got it most often: recorded 7.3 times per 100 of its 119,430 tests.

DVSA wording: Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake.

Failures
0.3 in 100
At least 100,021 tests in 2023
Advisories
0.9 in 100
At least 308,728 tests in 2023
Most often
Peugeot 107
7.3 per 100 tests

What it means

On the roller brake tester, a wheel showed braking force while the brakes were off: a brake is dragging. Common causes are a sticking caliper piston or slider, or a handbrake mechanism that does not fully release. It wastes fuel and overheats the disc.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail, when the effort is significant. A slight drag is often recorded as an advisory.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 1.2.1.

  1. 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.
  2. Advisory Pass
    It could become more serious in the future. Monitor and repair it if necessary.

What fixing it usually involves

Usually freeing and greasing the caliper slides, or replacing a seized caliper or handbrake cable. Discs and pads may need replacing if they have overheated.

A general guide, not a quote: ask a garage to inspect the car.

Which models get it most

Per 100 initial MOT tests on each model, among the 122 models with at least 20,000 tests where it is among the 40 most common items. DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail.

ModelTestsFailAdvisory
Peugeot 107119,430
3.6
3.7
Peugeot 207159,030
3.0
3.7
Vauxhall Agila37,884
2.7
3.2
Hyundai ix3553,223
2.2
3.4
Mazda MX-595,311
2.0
3.5
Iveco Daily38,031
2.4
3.0
Citroen C1168,925
2.5
2.7
Renault Master70,230
2.2
3.0
Vauxhall Movano51,019
2.1
2.8
Kia Ceed121,974
1.6
3.0

What to check at a viewing

  1. On the car
    After the test drive, carefully feel near each wheel: one much hotter than the others suggests a binding brake. A car that slows quickly when coasting can be dragging a brake.
  2. In the MOT history
    If this appears as an advisory, see whether it came back at the next test or turned into a failure, and ask the seller for the receipt if it was fixed.

Check a specific car

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

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Questions

What does "Binding brake" mean on an MOT?
On the roller brake tester, a wheel showed braking force while the brakes were off: a brake is dragging. Common causes are a sticking caliper piston or slider, or a handbrake mechanism that does not fully release. It wastes fuel and overheats the disc.
Binding brake: is it an MOT fail?
A major defect, so a fail, when the effort is significant. A slight drag is often recorded as an advisory.
Which cars are most likely to get "binding brake" on an MOT?
In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Peugeot 107 (7.3 per 100 tests), the Peugeot 207 (6.7 per 100 tests), the Vauxhall Agila (5.9 per 100 tests).

More brakes defects

See every MOT defect we explain or MOT pass rates by model.

Brake disc worn, pitted or scoredBrake disc significantly wornBrake pads worn thinBrake pipe corrodedBrake hose ferrule corrodedBrake hose damaged or perishedBinding brakeBrake effort fluctuatingHandbrake efficiency too lowHandbrake not working on one side

How these figures are made. We counted the defects recorded at every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 in the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Each item counts once per test. A failure is a major or dangerous defect, including one fixed during the test. A model's rate is the share of its tests where the item was recorded.

For each model we keep its 40 most frequent items, so a model where a defect is rarer than that is not listed, and figures for all cars are a floor. Defect names and explanations are ours, checked against the MOT inspection manual; DVSA's own wording is shown under each name.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.