AIPlateChecker← Check a car

MOT failure item explained

“Service brake excessively binding”

Recorded on 666 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
666
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
2.6%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
99% of 768 visits
Back next time
4.2%
of 648 follow-up visits

What it means

The service brake is the footbrake. This entry means a brake kept dragging after the pedal was released, badly enough to fail the roller brake test.

It is a major defect, so a failure item. A brake that drags slightly may be noted as an advisory instead.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 99%Fail, put right during the test 1.3%
4.2% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 4.2% of cases.
62,326 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 7 years old. From the 97 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

1.7%1971–731.2%1980–823.1%1983–850.4%1986–885.0%1989–912.9%1992–943.0%1995–972.0%1998–003.2%2001–035.1%2004–067.1%2007–096.1%2010–123.7%2013–151.0%2016–180.3%2019–210.2%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Peugeot 1079 of 3526%6.0%
Mazda MX-519 of 8423%4.4%
Volkswagen Up10 of 7513%3.0%
Toyota Aygo18 of 16011%2.9%
Suzuki Swift21 of 19711%2.6%
Nissan Micra13 of 11511%3.8%
Kia Picanto9 of 1009.0%2.6%
Audi TT6 of 6010%4.2%

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

  • Confirm the pass that followed the failed test, and ask what was replaced.
  • After a drive without heavy braking, carefully feel for a wheel that is much hotter than the others. Do not touch the disc itself.
  • Roll the car slowly on a flat surface with the handbrake off and listen for rubbing from one corner.
  • Read the later MOT tests for the same corner.

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 thickBrake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other materialParking brake efficiency below requirementsBrake disc worn, but not excessivelyService brake binding but not excessivelyBrakes 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 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.