MOT advisory “Non-component advisories Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test” — meaning and what to do
Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial
In plain English: the tester noted a non-component item that was not a fail on that MOT. Monitor to next MOT.
Can you drive with this?
Drive with care. This advisory alone does not normally mean you must stop driving. Still plan the repair before the next MOT so it does not become a fail.
12V electrical safety. On a 12V battery: disconnect negative first, reconnect negative last. Prevent sparks and short circuits. Stop if the battery is damaged or sits near orange high-voltage cables.
What the tester saw
MOT testers work from the DVSA inspection manual. For this item the manual wording is “Towball/hitch not fitted at time of test”. In plain English: the tester judged that wear or deterioration on the non-component advisories had not gone far enough to reject at that test. That is why it was recorded as an advisory rather than a failure. It is not a statement about the vehicle’s condition or legal status today.
Do you need to fix it?
An advisory did not affect that test’s result. It is the tester telling you what is likely to need attention, and how soon depends on the item.
- Monitor to next MOT. The towball or hitch was not fitted at the test — that is an equipment note, not a chassis defect. Fit and check the correct hitch before any towing; do not tow with a missing or unsecured coupling.
- Can you DIY? Basic external checks may be suitable for a careful DIY driver with household tools, on firm level ground. We do not publish strip-down or fitting steps here.
- Buying a used car? Repeated advisories for the same item across several years of MOT history mean the owner has been ignoring it. Check the car’s full record with our free MOT history check.
What happened to other cars with this advisory
These figures are a statistical association from the national MOT extracts. They are not a prediction about this car, and we have not inspected it.
Their rate of failing a 2025 MOT for any reason was 22.1% (95% CI 20.9–23.3), against 18.2% (95% CI 18.2–18.2) for cars that passed without this advisory.
The median car in this cohort was 9.0 years old with 70,661 miles at the 2024 test.
By age at the 2024 test
Scroll horizontally to read every age column.
| Age | Cars | Same-item fail | Not tested again |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 375 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–1.0) | 2.7% (95% CI 1.5–4.8) |
| 5–8 years | 1,156 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.3) | 2.8% (95% CI 2.0–3.9) |
| 8–12 years | 1,577 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.2) | 3.4% (95% CI 2.6–4.4) |
| 12–16 years | 872 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.4) | 7.5% (95% CI 5.9–9.4) |
| 16 years and over | 784 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.5) | 16.1% (95% CI 13.7–18.8) |
By mileage at the 2024 test
Scroll horizontally to read every mileage column.
| Mileage | Cars | Same-item fail | Not tested again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 913 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.4) | 2.8% (95% CI 2.0–4.1) |
| 40,000–80,000 miles | 1,875 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.2) | 3.0% (95% CI 2.3–3.9) |
| 80,000–120,000 miles | 1,171 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.3) | 6.1% (95% CI 4.8–7.6) |
| 120,000 miles and over | 805 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.5) | 16.5% (95% CI 14.1–19.2) |
Models with the highest same-item fail rate
Among models with enough cars in this cohort (at least 200 each), these had the highest rate of failing on the same item in 2025. Showing 1 qualifying models.
Scroll horizontally to read every model column.
| # | Make and model | Cars | Same-item fail | Not tested again |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Cr-V | 210 | 0% (95% CI 0.0–1.8) | 4.3% (95% CI 2.3–7.9) |
A robustness re-run on the 2,336 cars tested in January–June 2024 only — so the next annual test almost always falls inside 2025 — found a same-item fail rate of 0% (95% CI 0.0–0.2) and a not-retested gap of -0.9 points. A December 2024 test may not be due until 2026, which can make a car look as if it vanished; the first-half window removes most of that censoring.
Follow-up uses the DVSA vehicle_id, which is stable across annual releases, so the same physical car is compared from its 2024 test to its 2025 test. Browse the MOT prognosis registry. Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024 and 2025 extracts (Class 4). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Related non-component advisories advisories
Before you agree to the work
A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.
- Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
- What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
- Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
- Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
- Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.
Frequency: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4). Wording follows the DVSA inspection manual. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.