AIPlateChecker← Check a car

MOT failure item explained

“Coil spring fractured or broken”

Recorded on 1,697 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

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
1,697
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
6.7%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
99% of 2,049 visits
Back next time
0.8%
of 1,702 follow-up visits

What it means

The coil springs carry the weight of the car at each wheel. This entry means the tester found one that was cracked or snapped.

It is a major defect, so the car fails the test and cannot pass until the spring has been replaced. A pass recorded shortly afterwards shows the retest was done.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 99%Fail, put right during the test 1.2%
0.8% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 0.8% of cases.
58,458 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 7 years old. From the 392 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

0.0%1971–730.0%1980–820.0%1983–850.4%1986–882.4%1989–910.0%1992–941.4%1995–972.0%1998–004.3%2001–037.9%2004–0615%2007–0917%2010–1212%2013–155.4%2016–180.8%2019–210.0%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Volvo V4016 of 2857%8.9%
Suzuki Jimny21 of 5538%8.3%
Renault Megane14 of 3738%9.8%
Fiat Punto9 of 2241%14%
Renault Clio43 of 12435%8.4%
Vauxhall Astra74 of 20436%11%
Dacia Sandero28 of 9031%6.2%
Peugeot 2079 of 2339%16%

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

  • Find the failed test in the car's history and look for the pass that followed it, and how many days later it came.
  • Ask the seller for the invoice, and whether one spring was replaced or both on that axle.
  • Check the other corners in later tests: look for 'coil spring corroded' advisories on the same car.
  • Look at the car on level ground from the front and the rear. It should sit level side to side.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other suspension entries explained

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movementShock absorbers has light misting of oilCoil spring corrodedSuspension arm ball joint excessively wornSuspension arm ball joint has slight playAnti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirtAnti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight playShock absorbers has a serious fluid leakSuspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated

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.