AIPlateChecker← Check a car

MOT advisory explained

“Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material”

Recorded on 1,703 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. Every time it was an advisory.

Seen this on a car? Check it free

Every MOT test, every advisory, the mileage record and a condition score, in seconds. No sign-up.

Buying it? The full history report adds finance, write-off, stolen and keeper checks.

Cars with it
1,703
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
6.7%
at least once
Recorded as
Advisory
100% of 3,621 visits
Back next time
45%
of 2,976 follow-up visits

What it means

Rigid metal pipes carry brake fluid to each wheel. This note means the tester saw surface corrosion on a pipe, or found the pipe covered in grease, underseal or dirt so that its condition could not be fully judged.

It is an advisory. A pipe that is excessively corroded, damaged or leaking is recorded as a failure.

How it shows up in the records

Advisory 100%
45% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 45% of cases.
63,272 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 8 years old. From the 210 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

1.7%1971–734.9%1980–827.9%1983–856.1%1986–888.0%1989–918.7%1992–949.6%1995–977.2%1998–0018%2001–0317%2004–0617%2007–0914%2010–127.8%2013–152.9%2016–180.3%2019–210.0%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Peugeot 10724 of 3569%14%
Suzuki Alto14 of 2361%13%
Mitsubishi L20017 of 3253%8.6%
Suzuki Jimny21 of 5538%7.8%
Ford Transit79 of 26929%4.6%
Porsche Boxster7 of 2035%11%
Citroen C115 of 4732%8.7%
Mercedes-Benz Vito10 of 3429%7.5%

Models with 20 or more cars checked here. “Same-age cars” is the share among all checked cars built in the same years, so an older model is compared with older cars.

What to check before you buy

  • Ask whether any brake pipes have been replaced since the advisory, and for the invoice.
  • With a torch, follow the pipes along the underside and over the rear axle, looking for flaking rust.
  • Read the later MOT tests to see whether the note came back or became a failure.
  • Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and look for damp patches around the pipe joints.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other brakes entries explained

Brake pad(s) wearing thinBrake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakenedBrake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thickParking brake efficiency below requirementsBrake disc worn, but not excessivelyService brake binding but not excessivelyService brake excessively bindingBrakes imbalanced across an axleService brake fluctuating but not excessively

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

Repair costs depend on the car, so this page does not quote one. Enter the plate and the free report estimates them for that car, alongside every test and advisory on its record.

Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 19 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.