MOT advisory explained
“Brake pedal wearing smooth”
The ribbed rubber pad on your brake pedal has worn down, usually along one edge. It is the least expensive advisory in the whole MOT to put right, most owners can do it themselves in two minutes, and a quarter of them leave it for another year anyway.
The brake pedal has to have a surface that stops a foot sliding off it. On nearly all cars that is a moulded rubber pad with raised ribs. The tester found the ribs worn flat in places, with enough pattern left to pass.
1.4% fail on the brake pedal at the next test. Rubber wears slowly, so there is time. But 26.2% get the same advisory again the following year, for a part that costs less than a sandwich.
Buy the pad for your exact model. They look alike and they are not. One that is slightly too big will work its way off the pedal, which is worse than a worn one.
A “brake pedal wearing smooth” advisory means the anti-slip rubber on the brake pedal has worn, usually on one edge, but still has enough grip to pass. The fix is a new pedal rubber, an inexpensive part that pushes on by hand on most cars. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, only 1.4% of 320,684 such advisories failed on the brake pedal at the next test, while 26.2% were given the same advisory again.
Why a tester looks at your pedal
The rule. The MOT requires the brake pedal to have an anti-slip surface that is present, secure and not worn smooth. It is there for the day you brake hard in wet shoes. A sole that slides off the pedal in an emergency stop is the whole reason for the check.
Where it wears. Testers describe the same thing over and over: “anti-slip rubber worn on edge”, “on edge”, “worn on edge”. Most drivers pivot their heel on the floor and roll the ball of the foot across from the accelerator, so the right-hand edge of the brake pedal takes the scrubbing. “split” is the other common note, where the rubber has torn.
Rubber or metal. On most cars the pad is a separate rubber cover stretched over a plain steel pedal. On some, particularly with sports pedals, the grip is metal with rubber studs. If those have worn, the fix is a pedal cover kit or a new pedal, and it costs more.
Will it fail next year?
It has been written 709,567 times, and 320,684 of those can be followed to the same vehicle’s next MOT.
| What happened at the next test | Share |
|---|---|
| Failed on the same component | 1.4% |
| Same advisory recorded again | 26.2% |
According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair: 320,684 advisories followed to the same vehicle’s next test. Rows can overlap.
This is about as low as brake advisories go. Even a lightly corroded hose ferrule fails more often. The bar for failing is a pedal with no effective grip left at all, and it takes a lot of miles to get from part-worn to that.
The repeat rate is the odd part. More than one in four is carried over to the next certificate. For brake pipes or a subframe that makes sense, because the repair is real money. Here it can only be that nobody tells the owner how little is involved.
| Advisory wording | Fails on same part | Advised again | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 cable damaged | 3.5% | 19.1% | 111,017 |
| Parking brake lever defective but can be satisfactorily operated | 3.3% | 12.9% | 126,541 |
| Brake disc worn, | 2.6% | 12.9% | 3,690,262 |
| Brake pedal wearing smooth | 1.4% | 26.2% | 320,684 |
| Brake fluid close to minimum mark | 0.3% | 4.6% | 167,029 |
It tracks use more than age. The rate climbs from 0.7 per 1,000 tests at 3–4 years to a little over three in the late teens, then eases. The failure rate is flat, between one and two in a hundred at every age.
| Age of car | Per 1,000 tests | Fails on same part | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–4 years | 0.7 | 1.6% | 18,837 |
| 5–6 years | 1.1 | 1.4% | 32,162 |
| 7–9 years | 1.9 | 1.3% | 71,282 |
| 10–12 years | 2.6 | 1.2% | 76,814 |
| 13–15 years | 3.1 | 1.3% | 62,866 |
| 16–19 years | 3.3 | 1.5% | 40,686 |
| 20 years and over | 2.6 | 1.7% | 11,752 |
On most cars the old pad peels off by hand, starting at a corner. The new one hooks over the top edge of the pedal and is stretched down and around the other three. Warming it in hot water first makes the rubber easier to work.
Check that the lip is seated all the way round the back of the pedal and that the pad cannot be twisted or pulled off. Then press the pedal a few times with the engine off.
Do the clutch pedal at the same time if your car has one. It wears in the same way, the pads are often sold as a pair, and the MOT does not check it, so nobody will remind you.
Exact wording on your certificate
There is a single advisory wording. The failure covers three conditions in one line.
| Line on the certificate | Result | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pedal wearing smooth | Advisory — pass | 1.1.2 (c) |
| Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing, loose or worn smooth | Major — fail | 1.1.2 (c) |
Ninety-five in every hundred have no position recorded, for the obvious reason that a car has one brake pedal. The handful that say “front” or “offside front” are testers filling in a box the system offered them.
| Position written by the tester | Share of all instances |
|---|---|
| No position recorded | 95% |
| Front | 2% |
| Offside front | 1% |
| Central front | 1% |
| Offside front lower | 0% |
| Central | 0% |
From 709,567 recorded instances. Testers can add their own note after the standard wording. The most common on this advisory: “anti-slip rubber worn on edge” (6,078), “anti-slip rubber wear too edge” (3,800), “split” (3,227), “on edge” (2,662), “rubber” (2,333), “anti-slip provision” (1,716), “worn on edge” (1,303), “anti-slip rubber worn” (921).
What it costs
A pedal rubber is among the cheapest parts sold for any car, from a main dealer parts counter or a motor factor, and fitting it yourself is free. We do not publish a range because there is nothing meaningful to compare. A garage will usually fit one in passing during a service if you ask. Prices for real brake work are on the repair costs index.
Can I still drive with this advisory?
Take a little extra care with wet or muddy soles until the pad is changed. If the rubber has split and is starting to come away from the pedal, replace it now. A loose pad can fold under your foot.
Enter your reg to see your car’s full MOT history, including how many years this two-minute job has been carried over.
Which cars get this advisory most?
Across all vehicles the rate is 2.0 per 1,000 tests. On working vehicles it is four to seven times that.
| Model | Per 1,000 tests | Vs all cars | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CR-V | 14 | 6.7× | 2,048,932 |
| Renault Kangoo | 13 | 6.5× | 700,467 |
| Renault Master | 13 | 6.3× | 760,734 |
| Vauxhall Movano | 12 | 5.8× | 544,309 |
| Ford Transit | 11 | 5.6× | 9,907,752 |
| Suzuki Vitara | 11 | 5.2× | 466,999 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | 10 | 5.0× | 2,101,182 |
| Renault Trafic | 10 | 4.8× | 1,353,402 |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 8 | 4.2× | 2,438,602 |
| Suzuki SX4 | 8 | 3.8× | 418,443 |
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.
Seven of the ten are vans: the Renault Kangoo, Renault Master, Vauxhall Movano, Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Renault Trafic and Vauxhall Vivaro. They are driven all day in stop-start traffic, in work boots, often by several drivers. A pedal rubber in a delivery van does more work in a year than one in a family car does in ten.
The Honda CR-V at the top, and the two Suzukis, are the exceptions. They are long-lived cars that reach high mileages, and the pad simply wears out.
What to do next
- Look at the pedal. If the ribs are flat along one edge and sharp everywhere else, it is a worn pad and nothing more.
- Order the right part. Give the supplier your registration. Manual and automatic versions of the same car often use different pads.
- Fit it and check it. Seated all round, no movement when you twist it. Two minutes.
- Do the clutch pedal too. Same wear, same fix, and no MOT check to catch it.
Brake pedal wearing smooth FAQ
What does brake pedal wearing smooth mean on an MOT?
The anti-slip rubber pad on the brake pedal has worn, usually along one edge, but still gives enough grip to pass. It is an advisory.
Is a worn brake pedal rubber an MOT failure?
Only when the anti-slip surface is missing, loose or worn completely smooth. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, 1.4% of 320,684 such advisories failed on the brake pedal at the next test.
Can I replace a brake pedal rubber myself?
On most cars, yes. The old pad peels off and the new one hooks over the top of the pedal and stretches round the edges. Make sure it is the correct pad for your model and fully seated.
How much does a brake pedal rubber cost?
Very little. It is one of the cheapest parts on the car, and fitting is free if you do it yourself. Cars with metal sports pedals cost more. Any prices on this site are estimates and final quotes come from garages.
Why is only one edge worn?
Most drivers keep their heel on the floor and swing the foot across from the accelerator, so the right-hand edge of the brake pedal is scrubbed on every stop. Testers’ notes on this advisory mention the edge more than anything else.
Which vehicles get this advisory most?
Vans. Seven of the top ten models are vans, led by the Renault Kangoo and Renault Master, along with the Honda CR-V. High daily use and work boots wear the pad quickly.
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 709,567 times; 320,684 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.