Suspension wording is where I get the most phone calls, because it is almost always deliberately vague. 'Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn' names two different parts in one sentence and leaves you to work out which one is the problem.
Suspension wording is where I get the most phone calls, because it is almost always deliberately vague. 'Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn' names two different parts in one sentence and leaves you to work out which one is the problem.
That's not the tester being awkward. On a ramp with the wheel being levered, all a tester can honestly report is that there's more movement in that area than there should be. Which component is actually loose only becomes clear when someone strips it down or isolates the movement with a pry bar and a second pair of eyes.
The practical upshot: never order suspension parts off the back of an MOT certificate alone. Get the movement confirmed first, because the difference between a bush and a complete arm — or between a top mount and a strut — is a big difference in cost.
Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn
There's more movement in that suspension arm than there should be. The wording names both the pin (the joint) and the bush (the rubber mount) because from underneath, with a pry bar, the tester can see the movement but can't always tell which of the two is producing it.
Full explanation of Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn
Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak
Oil is escaping past the seal in the damper. A light film or misting is often only recorded as an advisory; wording about a serious leak means there's enough oil escaping that the damper can no longer be relied on to control the spring.
Full explanation of Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak
Coil spring fractured or broken
A road spring has snapped. It's usually the bottom coil that goes, and the broken end can sit close enough to the tyre to damage it. This is one of the few suspension defects where the wording is unambiguous — there's no interpretation needed.
Full explanation of Coil spring fractured or broken
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has excessive play
The small link that connects the anti-roll bar to the suspension has developed play in one of its ball joints. It's the classic cause of a light rattle or knock over rough surfaces at low speed, and it's one of the cheapest suspension faults there is.
Full explanation of Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has excessive play
Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded
There's serious corrosion in the structure close to where a suspension component bolts to the car. The MOT treats the area around load-bearing mountings differently from the rest of the bodywork, because rust there affects whether the suspension stays attached.
Full explanation of Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded
Wheel bearing excessively rough or has excessive play
The bearing that lets the wheel spin on the hub is worn. The tester rocks the wheel and spins it by hand — play at the top and bottom or a rumble you can feel through the tyre is enough to record it. Rough is often Minor, actual play is normally Major.
Full explanation of Wheel bearing excessively rough or has excessive play
Ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated so it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt
The little rubber boot that keeps grease in and grit out of a suspension or steering ball joint has split. The joint itself may still be tight today, which is why this is often Minor — but once the boot is open, road grit and water get in and the joint's life is measured in months, not years.
How suspension defects are graded
Every MOT defect is recorded as dangerous, major or minor. Dangerous and major both fail the test; the difference is that a dangerous defect means the car is not roadworthy and must not be driven away. A minor defect passes but is recorded on the certificate, and an advisory is a note that something is wearing and will need attention before the next test. Tester notes in the suspension section use standard DVSA wording, which is why the phrasing on your certificate looks nothing like plain English — the pages above translate it.
Getting a suspension failure put right
You are free to take the car anywhere for the repair — there is no obligation to have the testing station do the work, and getting a second opinion on a big quote is sensible. Ask for the failed item to be shown to you on the ramp; a genuine defect is always something a mechanic can point at. Once repaired, a partial retest within ten working days covers the listed items without paying a second full test fee.
Avoiding it next year
Most suspension failures are found on a pre-MOT check for a fraction of the cost of a failure plus retest, because they are inspected before the clock is running. An MOT at Bob's Mechanical Repairs in Birnam, Dunkeld is £54.85, and anything found is explained and priced before work is agreed. Bob has 32 years on the tools, so the advice you get is what he would do with his own car.
Common questions
Can I drive away after a suspension MOT failure? Only if the old certificate is still valid and the defect is not dangerous. A defect recorded as dangerous means the car must not be driven on the road until it is repaired, and driving it can mean a fine and points.
Do I pay again for the retest? If the car is left at the testing station and the repair is done there, the partial retest is usually free. If you take it away and bring it back within ten working days, a partial retest is free for the listed items; after that a full test fee applies.
What does an advisory in this section mean? An advisory is a pass with a warning: the item is not bad enough to fail today but is wearing. Advisories on the same item two years running are the ones worth acting on before they become failures.
Decode your exact MOT wording or browse all MOT failure categories.