MOT advisory explained
“Engine mounting damaged but not to excess”
The rubber block that holds the engine still has started to break up. You feel it before a tester sees it: a clunk when you pull away or lift off, a shudder at idle. It rarely becomes a failure, and it is the one advisory where the sound the car makes is a better guide than the certificate.
An engine sits on three or four mounts: rubber blocks, sometimes filled with fluid, that carry its weight and stop it rocking under load. The tester found one with the rubber cracked, split or perished, but still holding the engine in place. “Not to excess” means the engine has not moved.
2.2% fail on an engine mounting at the next test and 13.6% are advised again. Mounts wear slowly and the MOT only fails one that lets the engine move enough to touch something or strain a pipe. Long before that, a worn mount is making itself heard.
The lower mount is the one most often named, and on many front-wheel-drive cars it is the torque arm, the “dog bone” in testers’ notes. It is the cheapest of the set and the first to go. If a garage quotes for all four on the strength of one advisory, ask which one the tester actually found.
An “engine mounting damaged but not to excess” advisory means one of the rubber mounts holding the engine has cracked, split or perished, but the engine is still held securely, so the car passes. The lower torque mount is the usual suspect. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, only 2.2% of 101,134 such advisories followed to the next test failed on an engine mounting, and 13.6% were advised again.
What the mounts do and how they fail
Three or four, with different jobs. Two upper mounts carry the weight of the engine and gearbox. A lower mount, often a rod with a rubber bush at each end, stops the engine rocking forwards and backwards when you accelerate and brake. That one takes the shocks, and “deteriorated”, “bush worn” and “bush split” describe it wearing out. Testers name the gearbox mount as “gearbox mount” and “gearbox”.
Rubber or fluid. Older and cheaper mounts are solid rubber. Many upper mounts on newer cars are hydraulic, with fluid inside to absorb vibration. A hydraulic mount that has leaked looks intact and works badly: the idle gets rough and a vibration comes through the seats at traffic lights. A tester may not see that, so it often goes unrecorded until it is obvious.
What you notice. A clunk from the engine bay when you pull away, change gear or lift off the throttle. A shudder through the car at idle. In a severe case the engine can be seen rocking when someone revs it with the bonnet up. Any of those with this advisory is a mount that is past the advisory stage in practice.
Will it fail next year?
Three wordings, the first covering nearly all of them, have been recorded 239,765 times. 101,134 can be followed to the same vehicle’s next MOT.
| What happened at the next test | Share |
|---|---|
| Failed on the same component | 2.2% |
| Same advisory recorded again | 13.6% |
According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair: 101,134 advisories followed to the same vehicle’s next test. Rows can overlap.
Two in a hundred is low, and it is low for a reason that has nothing to do with the mount getting better. The MOT fails an engine mounting only when it is so deteriorated that the engine can move excessively, or when it has actually broken. A cracked rubber that still holds the engine passes year after year.
The repeat rate is also low, at 13.6%. That suggests most owners have it done, not because of the test but because the clunk becomes tiresome.
| Advisory wording | Fails on same part | Advised again | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour | 9.4% | 14.2% | 153,116 |
| Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases | 9.0% | 26.5% | 3,311,485 |
| Exhaust mounting defective | 5.5% | 23.3% | 1,459,563 |
| Engine mounting damaged | 2.2% | 13.6% | 101,134 |
| Oil leak, | 1.2% | 42.8% | 8,941,140 |
| Exhaust noisy | 0.9% | 39.7% | 382,681 |
| Undertray not fully secure | 0.6% | 8.6% | 83,373 |
There are too few cases under five years old to report. From 5–6 years the rate climbs from 0.2 per 1,000 tests to 1.2 in the late teens. The failure rate is flat, at about two in a hundred at every age. A worn mount is judged the same way whatever the age of the car.
| Age of car | Per 1,000 tests | Fails on same part | Followed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 years | 0.2 | 2.0% | 5,599 |
| 7–9 years | 0.4 | 2.0% | 14,955 |
| 10–12 years | 0.8 | 2.0% | 22,684 |
| 13–15 years | 1.3 | 2.3% | 26,936 |
| 16–19 years | 1.7 | 2.3% | 20,110 |
| 20 years and over | 1.2 | 2.3% | 5,442 |
The tester looks at the mount with the engine off and stationary. A mount fails in use: under torque, under load, at idle. A rubber that looks merely cracked on the ramp may be allowing the engine to slam against its stops every time you pull away.
If you have the clunk or the shudder, book it in regardless of what the certificate says. If you have neither, the mount can wait for the next service.
An engine that moves too far strains the exhaust flexible joint, the driveshafts and the coolant hoses, and can pull a gear linkage out of adjustment. The mount is the cheap part of that list.
Exact wording on your certificate
Three wordings for the same finding, on the mount, the bracket, or both. The failure is a mount that has broken or lets the engine move.
| Line on the certificate | Result | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Engine mounting damaged but not to excess | Advisory — pass | 6.1.8 (a) (i) |
| Engine mounting/bracket damaged but not to excess | Advisory — pass | 6.1.8 (a) (i) |
| Engine mounting/bracket bracket damaged but not to excess | Advisory — pass | 6.1.8 (a) (i) |
| Engine mounting or bracket excessively damaged, deteriorated or fractured | Major — fail | 6.1.8 (a) (ii) |
“lower”, “front lower” and “rear lower” together lead the positioned entries. The lower mount is the one testers can see and probe from underneath, and the one that does the hardest work.
| Position written by the tester | Share of all instances |
|---|---|
| No position recorded | 23% |
| Lower | 11% |
| Front lower | 7% |
| Rear lower | 7% |
| Rear | 6% |
| Front | 6% |
From 239,765 recorded instances. Testers can add their own note after the standard wording. The most common on this advisory: “worn” (2,012), “deteriorated” (1,778), “bush worn” (1,452), “gearbox mount” (1,115), “dog bone” (554), “gearbox” (521), “stabilizer” (413), “bush deteriorated” (404).
What it costs
A lower torque mount is a modest part and a short job on most cars. Upper mounts cost more, hydraulic ones more still, and access varies from ten minutes to supporting the engine on a jack. The spread is too wide for one honest range, so ask for a price naming the mount on the certificate. Other prices are on the repair costs index.
Can I still drive with this advisory?
Plan the repair around the symptoms. A cracked mount with no clunk can wait for the next service. A mount that knocks on every pull-away should be done within weeks, because it is loading the exhaust, driveshafts and hoses each time.
Enter your reg to see the full MOT history. An engine mount advisory followed by an exhaust leak or a driveshaft note is often one worn mount doing the damage.
Which cars get this advisory most?
The all-vehicle rate is 0.7 per 1,000 tests. On the models below it is three to ten times that.
| Model | Per 1,000 tests | Vs all cars | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo | 7 | 10.6× | 525,809 |
| Ford Fusion | 4 | 6.1× | 717,369 |
| Fiat Doblo | 4 | 5.9× | 537,931 |
| Peugeot 206 | 4 | 5.8× | 1,061,894 |
| Fiat Punto | 3 | 5.0× | 1,031,944 |
| Honda HR-V | 3 | 4.4× | 259,882 |
| Peugeot Expert | 2 | 3.6× | 628,355 |
| Citroen Dispatch | 2 | 3.4× | 556,497 |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 2 | 3.2× | 2,438,602 |
| Volvo V70 | 2 | 2.9× | 542,743 |
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.
The Smart Fortwo leads at 10.6 times the average, well clear of the rest. A tiny rear-mounted engine, hard-worked in town, with a mount that testers find easy to see. The Peugeot 206, Fiat Punto and Ford Fusion follow, small cars with a lower torque mount that wears quickly.
The vans, the Fiat Doblo, Peugeot Expert, Citroen Dispatch and Vauxhall Vivaro, are there because heavy loads and diesel torque are hard on any mount.
What to do next
- Listen for the clunk. Pull away briskly, lift off, change gear. A knock from the engine bay is the mount.
- Ask which mount. Lower, upper, gearbox. It sets both the price and the urgency.
- Have the others checked while it is up. They are the same age. One worn mount also overloads its neighbours.
- Check the flexible exhaust joint. It is what a moving engine breaks first. Cheap to inspect while the car is on the ramp.
Engine mounting advisory FAQ
What does engine mounting damaged but not to excess mean?
One of the rubber mounts holding the engine has cracked, split or perished, but it still holds the engine securely in place. It is an advisory and the car passes.
What are the symptoms of a worn engine mount?
A clunk from the engine bay when pulling away, changing gear or lifting off the throttle, a shudder or vibration at idle, and in bad cases the engine visibly rocking when revved.
Will a worn engine mount fail the next MOT?
Rarely. According to DVSA MOT data analysed by PriceMyRepair, 2.2% of 101,134 such advisories failed on an engine mounting at the next test. The MOT fails a mount only when it has broken or lets the engine move excessively.
How much does an engine mount cost to replace?
It varies widely. A lower torque mount is a modest part and a short job. Upper and hydraulic mounts cost more and may need the engine supported. Ask for a price naming the mount. Any prices we publish are estimates and final quotes come from garages.
Is it safe to drive with a damaged engine mount?
Yes at the advisory stage. Have it repaired within weeks if the engine knocks on pull-away, because a moving engine strains the exhaust, driveshafts and hoses.
Which cars get this advisory most?
The Smart Fortwo, at 10.6 times the average rate, then small cars such as the Ford Fusion, Peugeot 206 and Fiat Punto, and diesel vans.
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 239,765 times; 101,134 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.