MOT defects · Corrosion and body

Number plate illegible or deteriorated 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 2.3 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Hyundai Getz got it most often: recorded 7.9 times per 100 of its 23,077 tests.

DVSA wording: Number plate inscription missing or illegible.

Advisories

2.3 in 100

At least 764,964 tests in 2023

Most often

Hyundai Getz

7.9 per 100 tests

What it means

A number plate is faded, delaminated, cracked or dirty. As an advisory it usually reads "deteriorated but not likely to be misread": legible today, but on the way out.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail, when the registration is missing or illegible. Plates must also use the standard font and spacing.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 0.1.

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

What fixing it usually involves

A new plate from a registered number plate supplier, who will ask for proof of identity and entitlement to the registration.

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 221 models with at least 20,000 tests where it is among the 40 most common items. DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail.

Model	Tests	Advisory
Hyundai Getz	23,077	7.9
Vauxhall Vectra	39,116	6.0
Toyota Corolla	106,579	6.0
Honda Accord	30,345	5.4
Saab 9-3	43,277	5.3
Peugeot 307	39,404	5.1
Toyota Avensis	72,103	5.0
Ford Fusion	58,809	4.9
Citroen Xsara	35,042	4.6
Peugeot 206	58,647	4.6

What to check at a viewing

On the car
Check both plates are clear, use the standard font and spacing, and match the registration on the V5C logbook.
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.

Questions

What does "Number plate illegible or deteriorated" mean on an MOT?

A number plate is faded, delaminated, cracked or dirty. As an advisory it usually reads "deteriorated but not likely to be misread": legible today, but on the way out.

Number plate illegible or deteriorated: is it an MOT fail?

A major defect, so a fail, when the registration is missing or illegible. Plates must also use the standard font and spacing.

Which cars are most likely to get "number plate illegible or deteriorated" on an MOT?

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Hyundai Getz (7.9 per 100 tests), the Vauxhall Vectra (6.0 per 100 tests), the Toyota Corolla (6.0 per 100 tests).

More corrosion and body defects

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

Excessive corrosion in the vehicle structure Corrosion near a suspension mounting Number plate illegible or deteriorated

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.