MOT cost .

Failure category

Brakes

Pads, discs, pipes, fluid, handbrake travel, brake balance. Anything in the braking circuit that fails inspection.

Defect codes

65

Total fails

1,592,349

Defect codes in this category, ranked.

Sorted by total cars affected last year. Click any row for the full defect description plus the models most at risk.

  1. 01

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    1141 models affected

    682,348
  2. 02

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    249 models affected

    356,097
  3. 03

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    406 models affected

    304,675
  4. 04

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    232 models affected

    103,374
  5. 05

    Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

    437 models affected

    54,829
  6. 06

    Parking brake inoperative on one side

    86 models affected

    38,059
  7. 07

    Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value

    73 models affected

    29,691
  8. 08

    Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    60 models affected

    5,505
  9. 09

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    142 models affected

    4,659
  10. 10

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    109 models affected

    2,516
  11. 11

    Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

    124 models affected

    2,163
  12. 12

    Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment

    28 models affected

    1,787
  13. 13

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    4 models affected

    1,554
  14. 14

    A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched

    8 models affected

    1,307
  15. 15

    Brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    49 models affected

    1,043
  16. 16

    Brake control has insufficient reserve travel

    17 models affected

    449
  17. 17

    Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

    14 models affected

    351
  18. 18

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    25 models affected

    278
  19. 19

    A brake lining or pad contaminated with oil, grease etc

    19 models affected

    264
  20. 20

    A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded

    4 models affected

    195
  21. 21

    Parking brake control missing, defective or inoperative

    15 models affected

    162
  22. 22

    Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing, loose or worn smooth

    15 models affected

    159
  23. 23

    Parking brake control missing, defective or inoperative

    11 models affected

    148
  24. 24

    Brake control has insufficient reserve travel

    12 models affected

    139
  25. 25

    Brake performance unable to be tested

    31 models affected

    105
  26. 26

    A service brake control has insufficient reserve travel

    8 models affected

    77
  27. 27

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    8 models affected

    63
  28. 28

    Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

    8 models affected

    52
  29. 29

    Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value

    3 models affected

    41
  30. 30

    Brake fluid below minimum mark

    4 models affected

    41
  31. 31

    Brake performance unable to be tested

    6 models affected

    30
  32. 32

    Brake pipe inadequately clipped or supported

    2 models affected

    17
  33. 33

    Flexible brake hose excessively damaged, chafed, twisted or stretched

    5 models affected

    15
  34. 34

    Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

    2 models affected

    13
  35. 35

    Brake lining or pad missing or incorrectly mounted

    3 models affected

    12
  36. 36

    Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

    1 models affected

    12
  37. 37

    Electronic parking brake MIL indicates a malfunction

    6 models affected

    12
  38. 38

    Brake fluid below minimum mark

    3 models affected

    10
  39. 39

    Brake control so positioned, bent or shortened that the brake cannot be readily applied.

    1 models affected

    9
  40. 40

    a brake lining or pad contaminated with oil, grease etc

    1 models affected

    8
  41. 41

    Brake lining or pad missing or incorrectly mounted

    1 models affected

    8
  42. 42

    Brake fluid below minimum mark

    4 models affected

    8
  43. 43

    Brake control not releasing correctly so that the functionality of brakes affected

    1 models affected

    6
  44. 44

    Hydraulic fluid leak from a brake valve

    2 models affected

    6
  45. 45

    Flexible brake hose excessively damaged, chafed, twisted or stretched

    2 models affected

    5
  46. 46

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    1 models affected

    4
  47. 47

    Brake control not releasing correctly

    1 models affected

    4
  48. 48

    Brake hoses or connections leaking on air brake systems

    1 models affected

    4
  49. 49

    Brake control not releasing correctly

    1 models affected

    4
  50. 50

    A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded

    1 models affected

    3
  51. 51

    Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    1 models affected

    3
  52. 52

    Brake hose damaged and likely to fail

    1 models affected

    3
  53. 53

    Brake fluid not visible

    1 models affected

    3
  54. 54

    when fully applied, the parking brake is incapable of holding the vehicle on a 16% gradient

    1 models affected

    2
  55. 55

    Brake hose bulging under pressure

    1 models affected

    2
  56. 56

    Brake fluid contaminated

    1 models affected

    2
  57. 57

    Brake control so positioned, bent or shortened that the brake cannot be readily applied.

    1 models affected

    2
  58. 58

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    1 models affected

    2
  59. 59

    Brake fluid not visible

    1 models affected

    2
  60. 60

    Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the vehicle deviates excessively from a straight line

    1 models affected

    2
  61. 61

    Leaking brake pipe or connection on a hydraulic system

    1 models affected

    1
  62. 62

    Leaking brake pipe or connection on a hydraulic system

    1 models affected

    1
  63. 63

    Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing, loose or worn smooth

    1 models affected

    1
  64. 64

    Service brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value

    1 models affected

    1
  65. 65

    Master cylinder defective but brake still operating

    1 models affected

    1

Brands most affected.

Total category-fails across each manufacturer's tested fleet. High-volume brands naturally lead — read alongside their model pass-rates.