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MOT failure item explained

“Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords”

Recorded on 1,812 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

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Cars with it
1,812
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
7.2%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
95% of 1,999 visits
Back next time
0.9%
of 1,587 follow-up visits

What it means

The tester found a cut in a tyre that was long enough and deep enough to reach the structural layers under the rubber. That is a failure, and the tyre has to be replaced before the car can pass.

A shallower cut that does not reach those layers may be noted as an advisory.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 95%Fail, put right during the test 2.7%Fail, marked dangerous 2.3%
0.9% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 0.9% of cases.
38,231 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 5 years old. From the 762 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

5.2%1971–737.3%1980–820.8%1983–854.4%1986–885.0%1989–912.9%1992–945.0%1995–974.3%1998–005.7%2001–039.7%2004–0612%2007–0911%2010–128.4%2013–157.7%2016–185.1%2019–212.9%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
BMW X511 of 4425%7.5%
Land Rover Range Rover13 of 5524%7.2%
Mitsubishi Outlander7 of 3222%7.9%
Land Rover Discovery Sport10 of 4920%6.8%
Lexus CT7 of 3619%8.5%
Skoda Octavia14 of 7618%7.8%
BMW X39 of 5217%7.3%
Vauxhall Zafira9 of 4719%9.2%

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 for the tyre invoice.
  • Inspect all four tyres, both sidewalls, for cuts, bulges and exposed cords.
  • Check the spare wheel too if the car carries one.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other tyres entries explained

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edgeTyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishingTyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyre has ply or cords exposedTyre has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyre has a bulge caused by separation or partial failure of its structure

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.