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MOT failure item explained

“Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

Recorded on 747 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

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Cars with it
747
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
3.0%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
99% of 819 visits
Back next time
2.2%
of 639 follow-up visits

What it means

A shock absorber, or damper, controls the bounce of the suspension using oil sealed inside it. This entry means oil was leaking from one badly enough to count as a serious leak, rather than a light misting.

It is a major defect, so a failure item. A light misting of oil on the outside of a damper may be noted as an advisory instead.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 99%Fail, put right during the test 1.2%
2.2% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 2.2% of cases.
61,829 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 7 years old. From the 206 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%1980–820.8%1983–851.3%1986–882.1%1989–911.2%1992–941.4%1995–972.6%1998–002.7%2001–033.0%2004–066.7%2007–097.2%2010–124.0%2013–152.5%2016–180.9%2019–210.4%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Ford KA16 of 6525%4.7%
BMW 3 Series29 of 21014%3.8%
Audi A412 of 9113%3.7%
Fiat 50022 of 17613%3.7%
Mazda 210 of 8112%4.0%
Vauxhall Corsa38 of 36410%3.3%
BMW 1 Series21 of 20310%3.5%
Volkswagen Golf38 of 36510%3.6%

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 for the invoice. Dampers are normally replaced in pairs across an axle.
  • Look at each damper for wet oil on the body or a build-up of oily dirt.
  • Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle after one bounce.
  • Read the later MOT tests for the same entry.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other suspension entries explained

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movementCoil spring fractured or brokenShock 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 playSuspension 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 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.