Rbt: excessively binding
This one item accounted for 0.1% of every MOT test carried out in Great Britain, and it is among the commonest faults on 54 different model-and-year combinations. Here is where it clusters, and what it looks like on a car you are standing in front of.
How to spot it before you buy
On a clear, safe road brake firmly once from ~30 mph — feel for pulling or judder
Pulling to one side or a pulsing pedal means warped discs, a sticking caliper or uneven brakes (£150–500+).
The models it hits hardest
Ranked by how often the fault came up as a share of that model's own tests, not by raw count — a fault in 8% of a small model's tests says more about that model than one in 3% of the Fiesta's. A linked row has a page of its own.
| Model | Years | Share of its tests |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Spark | 2010–2013 | 4.9% |
| Hyundai I800 | 2010–2013 | 4.2% |
| Smart (Mcc) Fortwo Coupe | 2010–2013 | 3.7% |
| SEAT Mii | 2010–2013 | 3.2% |
| Renault Clio | 2014–2017 | 3% |
| Volkswagen Amarok | 2010–2013 | 3% |
| Nissan Micra | 2010–2013 | 2.9% |
| Suzuki Splash | 2010–2013 | 2.9% |
| Nissan Micra | 2014–2017 | 2.8% |
| Vauxhall Agila | 2010–2013 | 2.8% |
| Toyota Aygo | 2010–2013 | 2.7% |
| SEAT Altea | 2010–2013 | 2.7% |
| Smart Fortwo Passion Mhd Auto | 2010–2013 | 2.7% |
| Dacia Sandero | 2010–2013 | 2.6% |
| Suzuki SX4 | 2010–2013 | 2.4% |
| Peugeot 107 | 2010–2013 | 2.2% |
| Citroen C1 | 2010–2013 | 2.2% |
| Volkswagen Up | 2010–2013 | 2.2% |
| SEAT Ibiza | 2010–2013 | 2.1% |
| Mazda MX-5 | 2010–2013 | 2.1% |
Showing the worst 20 of 54 affected model-and-year combinations. The full dataset is downloadable below.
Which manufacturers it clusters on
Pooled across each make's whole range, so this is a fact about the brand rather than about one of its models. Makes with at least 50,000 tests.
Free · no account, no card
See whether the car you're looking at has this on record
Type the registration and you get that car's own MOT history — every advisory and every failure, including whether this one has already come up.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023. Class 4 standard tests only. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.