Brake-ing Bad
70% of motorists driving vehicles with high-risk advisory issues for brakes and tyres
Leading UK car warranty provider, Warranty Direct reveals the most common advisory issues plaguing UK vehicles, since the MOT regulations were changed in May 2018.
The results were calculated by analysing the latest MOT and vehicle testing data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and claims on over 50,000 of its own live policies from March 2018 to May 2019.
The new MOT rules state there are four categories vehicles will now be put into (excluding a standard PASS, where a vehicle meets the minimum legal standard):
| Category | Description | Pass/Fail | Number of vehicles with issues since May 2018 |
| Dangerous | A direct and immediate risk to road safety or has a serious impact on the environment | Fail | 3,070,196 |
| Major | It may affect the vehicle’s safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment | Fail | 17,473,946 |
| Minor | No significant effect on the safety of the vehicle or impact on the environment | Pass | 3,054,275 |
| Advisory | It could become more serious in the future | Pass | 8,712,403 |
While minor and advisory issues do not result in failed MOT tests, there have been 8,712,403 vehicles with one or more advisory issues since the MOT changes last year.
The number of vehicles with advisory issues was the second highest after “major” issues, which had 17,473,946 vehicles in its category.
Shockingly, the overall individual number of advisory issues was over 15 million*.
The DVSA data revealed faulty braking systems were one of the main, serious issues across the country, making up 34% of all advisory cautions. Warranty Direct paid on average £29,846 for authorised claims made against braking systems from May 2018 to March 2019.
According to Warranty Direct’s 2019 Reliability Index data, the vehicle makes which experienced the most brake issues are:
| Vehicle make | Braking faults as Percentage of vehicle make claims | |
| 1 | Chevrolet Kalos | 54% |
| 2 | Kia Rio | 46% |
| 3 | Kia Picanto | 21% |
| 4 | Mazda 2 | 19% |
| 5 | MCC SMART | 17% |
Issues like weakened brake discs and drums should not be ignored for too long because all it takes is for one little crack to develop for issues to take a more serious turn.
Leaving an MOT with brake lining or pads less than 1.5mm thick could also become dangerous quickly, as your brake rotors can become warped or cracked over time, requiring an expensive replacement.
Despite the expense of such issues, avoiding paying out for repairs on brakes is one of the most dangerous decisions a car owner can make. According to 2017 data faulty brakes were the main cause of road accidents by vehicle defects in the UK. There were 570 accidents during this year alone.
Poor tyre conditions were also a common reason for advisory issues across the UK, according to the DVSA, causing 35% of all advisory cautions. Nearly half of tyre-related advisory issues were due to vehicles operating too near the recommended minimum tread depth.
Defective tyres were also the second biggest cause of road accidents caused by vehicle defects in 2017, resulting in 472 accidents.
While not a direct MOT fail, tyre and safety experts believe the 1.6mm legal minimum is insufficient to guarantee safety. Most recommend a minimum tread depth of 3mm for tyre replacement.
Those who don’t take heed of advisory tyre notices could also land themselves a £2,500 fine and three penalty points for a worn tyre. If all four tyres are worn below the legal limit, you could face a £10,000 fine and even lose your licence.
According to Warranty Direct’s analysis of DVSA data, the top five most common advisory issues in the UK overall are:
| Part issues | Percentage of issues | Instances |
| Tyre issues | 35% | 4848523 |
| Brake issues | 34% | 4677051 |
| Suspension | 24% | 3228777 |
| Engine | 5% | 638737 |
| Exhaust | 2% | 312728 |
Suspension issues also ranked highly for advisory cautions, followed by potential problems with car engines and exhausts.
Simon Ackers, CEO of Warranty Direct commented on the latest findings, saying:
“The recent high number of advisory issues are of significant concern and indicate a large proportion of drivers are taking potential, unnecessary risks when it comes to vehicle safety.
“Ignoring or leaving advisory issues for too long could lead to serious accidents and high repair costs for drivers.
“We recommend all motorists take the correct safety measures and deal with any advisory issues as soon as possible.”