MOT advisory disappeared on the next test

When an MOT advisory was written on one test but not on the next — and why a missing line is not proof the fault was fixed.

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Illustrative car for inspection areas

MOT testers record advisories in their own words. Sometimes a note appears on one test and does not appear on the very next test in the history. Buyers often read that as proof the garage fixed the item. Car Buyer Check treats it as a disappearing pattern: the wording was present earlier and absent on the following recorded test — nothing more.

What the engine does — and does not claim

For each pair of consecutive tests, the engine looks at advisories on the earlier test. If nothing in the same defect category appears on the next test, it may flag a disappearing finding. The later test is shown with a not-written marker where the earlier quote existed. That gap in the record is not interpreted as a successful repair.

When DVSA does not supply defect wording on a failed test, the report can show wording-unavailable instead of inventing text. An empty or missing line on a later test is still not evidence that work was done — only that the tester did not write the same kind of note again.

Preview and buyer report for this pattern

Enter the registration above. The free preview tells you whether disappearing patterns are among the marked areas and how the buyer position is set, together with MOT pass/fail counts and mileage. It does not list every vanished quote on the fold.

  • In the buyer report, disappearing items use the “Then it vanished” label with the earlier advisory text and the date it stopped being written.
  • Seller questions ask what happened to that component — without assuming a repair.
  • The inspection model points you to the mapped area so you can verify condition at the viewing.

How this differs from recurring or fail-then-pass

Recurring is similar wording coming back on multiple tests for the same family and area. Fail-then-pass is a failed result followed by a pass on the next test. Disappearing is only about an advisory note that is no longer written on the immediately following test. A car can show more than one pattern on the same registration.

At the viewing, inspect the item that was mentioned and ask the seller directly. The MOT file cannot tell you whether the part was replaced, the tester overlooked it, or the wording simply changed.

Official sources

If the advisory is gone from the latest MOT, is the problem fixed?

Not necessarily. Absence on a later test only means it was not recorded again in the same category on that test. It may have been repaired, may still be worn, or may have been described differently.

What does “not written on this test” mean in the report?

It marks the later MOT date where the earlier advisory’s wording does not appear. It is a record gap, not a certificate that the vehicle was worked on.

Can an advisory disappear even if the car never went back to a garage?

The pattern only compares what was written on two official tests. It does not track ownership or workshop visits — only published MOT comments.

Where do I see disappearing patterns in Car Buyer Check?

The free preview includes them in the look-out count when present. The buyer report lists each disappearing finding with quotes, chronology, and linked seller questions.

Is a vanished advisory always a good sign when buying?

It is neutral evidence. Treat it as a prompt to ask and inspect, not as a green light to skip your own checks.

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