MOT advisory explained
“Brake cable damaged but not to excess”
On a modern car the only brake that works by cable is the handbrake, so this advisory is about the handbrake cable in all but name. The damage is usually to its outer sleeve, and what matters is whether water has got inside.
The handbrake lever pulls a steel cable that runs under the car to the rear brakes. For most of its length the cable slides inside a plastic-lined outer casing. The tester found damage: a split or chafed casing, surface corrosion, or a few broken strands. The cable still works and the handbrake held.
3.5% fail on a brake cable at the next test, and about one in five are advised again. A cable with a split casing takes in water, and it then rusts from the inside where nobody can see it. It tends to seize before it snaps.
A frayed inner cable is a different matter from a scuffed outer casing. Broken strands mean the cable is losing strength and can part without warning, leaving the handbrake working on one wheel or none. If the tester’s note says frayed, replace it now. Related handbrake faults are covered on the brake caliper replacement cost page.
A “brake cable damaged but not to excess” advisory means the handbrake cable has minor damage, usually a split or corroded outer casing, but still operates the parking brake properly, so the car passes. The repair is a new cable. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, 3.5% of 111,017 such advisories followed to the next test failed on a brake cable, and 19.1% were given the same advisory again.
What the tester found under the car
It is the handbrake. Testers say so in their notes: “handbrake cable”, “parking brake cable” and “handbrake” are all in the top five. The footbrake on every modern car is hydraulic. The cable, where there is one, belongs to the parking brake. Cars with an electric parking brake mostly have no cable at all.
The casing matters more than it looks. “outer casing” and “outer casing split” are common notes. The casing is what keeps road water and salt off the inner cable. Once it is open, the cable rusts inside its sleeve, swells, and starts to drag. A handbrake that does not release fully on one side is often this, and so is one that freezes on in winter.
Corroded, or frayed. “corroded” is the single most common note, and on an exposed section of cable surface rust is normal. “frayed” is the one to take seriously. A cable is a bundle of fine wires, and each broken strand puts more load on the rest.
Will it fail next year?
This is an uncommon advisory, recorded 285,268 times, with 111,017 followed to the next MOT on the same vehicle.
| What happened at the next test | Share |
|---|---|
| Failed on the same component | 3.5% |
| Same advisory recorded again | 19.1% |
According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair: 111,017 advisories followed to the same vehicle’s next test. Rows can overlap.
It fails less often than the advisory it usually leads to. A handbrake that only just met its efficiency figure fails 12.3% of the time. A damaged cable is an earlier stage of the same story: the cable is marked, but the handbrake still pulls properly.
The two are worth reading together. If your certificate has both, the cable is probably the cause of the weak handbrake, and adjusting the lever will not cure it for long.
| Advisory wording | Fails on same part | Advised again | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair | 12.3% | 12.1% | 314,204 |
| Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material | 10.1% | 44.4% | 7,889,073 |
| Brake pad(s) wearing thin | 7.2% | 16.9% | 13,888,197 |
| Brake hose slightly deteriorated | 5.1% | 33.8% | 735,057 |
| Brake cable damaged | 3.5% | 19.1% | 111,017 |
| Parking brake lever defective but can be satisfactorily operated | 3.3% | 12.9% | 126,541 |
| Brake pedal wearing smooth | 1.4% | 26.2% | 320,684 |
It is rare at any age and close to absent on young cars, with too few cases under five years old to report. From 5–6 years the rate rises steadily to 1.6 per 1,000 tests at 20 years and over, and the share that fail next time triples, from 1.6% to 4.9%.
| Age of car | Per 1,000 tests | Fails on same part | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 years | 0.2 | 1.6% | 7,178 |
| 7–9 years | 0.5 | 2.6% | 19,217 |
| 10–12 years | 0.9 | 3.4% | 26,704 |
| 13–15 years | 1.2 | 4.0% | 25,669 |
| 16–19 years | 1.4 | 4.7% | 18,139 |
| 20 years and over | 1.6 | 4.9% | 8,762 |
Pull the handbrake on slowly and count the clicks until it holds the car firmly. Most cars are right at four to seven. Many more than that means the cable has stretched or the rear brakes need adjusting. Then release it and roll the car gently on level ground. It should move freely, with no drag from the back.
A handbrake that feels stiff, springs back slowly, or leaves one rear wheel warm after a drive has a cable that is sticking in its casing.
In freezing weather a cable with water in its casing can freeze with the handbrake on. If that has happened to you, the casing is open somewhere, whatever it looks like from outside.
Exact wording on your certificate
One advisory covers every kind of minor damage to a brake cable. The failure is just as brief.
| Line on the certificate | Result | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Brake cable damaged but not to excess | Advisory — pass | 1.1.15 (a) |
| Brake cable damaged or knotted | Major — fail | 1.1.15 (a) |
Nearly every entry that gives a position is at the rear, which is where the cables run. Left and right are level. Most cars have a separate cable to each rear wheel, joined at an equaliser under the middle of the car, and either side can be the one that gets caught or chafed.
| Position written by the tester | Share of all instances |
|---|---|
| Offside rear | 30% |
| Nearside rear | 29% |
| No position recorded | 12% |
| Offside | 9% |
| Nearside | 9% |
| Rear | 8% |
From 285,268 recorded instances. Testers can add their own note after the standard wording. The most common on this advisory: “corroded” (8,217), “handbrake cable” (4,452), “both” (3,694), “parking brake cable” (2,262), “handbrake” (2,041), “both sides” (1,959), “outer casing” (1,817), “frayed” (1,298).
What is involved
A handbrake cable is an inexpensive part. Labour is what varies: on some cars it is a short job from underneath, on others the rear brakes, heat shields or the centre console have to come apart to reach the ends. We do not publish a range for it because we would be guessing. Ask for a price that includes adjusting the handbrake afterwards. Other brake prices are on the repair costs index.
Can I still drive with this advisory?
Get into the habit of leaving the car in gear, or in Park, as a backup until the cable is replaced. If the note says frayed, or the handbrake suddenly needs far more travel than before, have it replaced straight away.
Enter your reg to see the whole MOT record. A cable advisory followed a year later by a handbrake efficiency advisory is one fault, seen twice.
Which cars get this advisory most?
Across all vehicles this appears on only 0.7 of every 1,000 tests. A few models see it many times more often.
| Model | Per 1,000 tests | Vs all cars | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiat Panda | 8 | 11.7× | 1,004,369 |
| Land Rover Freelander | 7 | 10.4× | 1,480,990 |
| Fiat 500 | 5 | 8.0× | 3,224,134 |
| Fiat Punto | 5 | 7.9× | 1,031,944 |
| Volkswagen Transporter | 5 | 6.7× | 3,128,645 |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 3 | 4.5× | 2,438,602 |
| Citroen C5 | 3 | 4.4× | 226,154 |
| Ford Ka | 3 | 4.2× | 2,120,213 |
| Renault Trafic | 3 | 4.2× | 1,353,402 |
| Toyota Yaris | 3 | 3.9× | 4,619,042 |
Model families are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, so “Transit” covers every Transit variant. Only models with at least 60,000 tests are ranked.
Small Fiats fill the list. The Fiat Panda gets this advisory 11.7 times as often as the average vehicle, the Fiat 500 and Fiat Punto around eight times, and the Ford Ka, which shares the 500’s underpinnings, is there as well. The Land Rover Freelander is the other stand-out at 10.4 times.
The Vauxhall Vivaro and Renault Trafic are the same van sold under two badges. When a design appears under every name it is sold by, the cause is the routing of the cable, not the way the vehicles are driven.
What to do next
- Find out what kind of damage. Casing, corrosion or fraying. The tester’s note usually says, and it sets the urgency.
- Do the click count and the roll test. They tell you whether the cable is already sticking.
- Replace a frayed or seized cable promptly. A scuffed casing on a cable that moves freely can wait for the next service.
- Have the handbrake adjusted afterwards. A new cable always needs setting up, and it is a good moment to have the rear brakes checked.
Brake cable advisory FAQ
What does brake cable damaged but not to excess mean?
The handbrake cable has minor damage, such as a split outer casing, surface corrosion or slight fraying, but still works the parking brake properly. It is an advisory and the car passes.
Which cable is it?
Almost always the handbrake cable. The footbrake is hydraulic on all modern cars, and testers’ notes on this advisory most often say handbrake or parking brake cable.
Will a damaged brake cable fail the next MOT?
Sometimes. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, 3.5% of 111,017 such advisories failed on a brake cable at the next test, and 19.1% were advised again.
Is it safe to drive with a damaged handbrake cable?
Yes, while the handbrake still holds. Leave the car in gear or in Park as a backup. If the inner cable is frayed, replace it now, because it can break without warning.
How much does a handbrake cable cost to replace?
The cable itself is cheap. The labour varies a lot between models, so we do not publish a range. Any prices on this site are estimates and final quotes come from garages.
Which cars get this advisory most?
The Fiat Panda and Land Rover Freelander, at more than ten times the average rate, followed by the Fiat 500 and Fiat Punto.
How these figures were calculated. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, from the DVSA anonymised MOT test results (Open Government Licence v3.0): 350,943,111 tests. This advisory was recorded 285,268 times; 111,017 of those were followed to the same vehicle’s next test between 180 and 730 days later. “Fails on the same part” means a failure at that next test under the same defect code and naming the same component, on either side of the vehicle. Testers do not always name a component the same way twice, so the figure is a floor. Method and how to cite.