How long do brake hoses last?

Per 100 MOT tests

Brake hoses: failures and advisories by car age

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–2022

0.0

0.0

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–2019

0.0

0.3

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–2016

0.0

0.9

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–2013

0.1

1.9

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier

0.7

5.7

Items recorded per 100 class 4 tests at each age, across the whole fleet. Advisories run ahead of failures: the tester saw the part wearing and said so a year or two before it failed. Peak band highlighted.

DVSA recorded wording

What the tester writes

• “A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded”peaks at 15+ yrs · 0.4 per 100 tests
• “A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched”peaks at 15+ yrs · 0.3 per 100 tests
• “Flexible brake hose excessively damaged, chafed, twisted or stretched”peaks at 3–5 yrs · 0.0 per 100 tests

When it fails

The defects behind it, explained

• Brake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing

Brakes

Other parts in the same system

• Brake pads and shoesany age
• Brake pipesfrom 12–14 yrs
• Brake discsfrom 6–8 yrs

Every part, every age

Common questions

How long do brake hoses last?

Across the British fleet, brake hoses barely fail before 15 years and older: 0.0 failures per 100 tests at three to five years, rising to 0.7 at 15 years and older, 67 times the rate. Flexible hoses perish, crack and chafe with age; a bulge under pressure or exposed reinforcement fails.

At what age should I have brake hoses checked?

From about 15 years, when failures reach half their peak rate across the fleet. Advisories for brake hoses run ahead of failures by a year or two, so a car whose MOT history shows one is on the curve.

Is a worn brake hose an MOT failure?

It depends on how worn. "Brake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing" is the defect testers record; each page explains the threshold at which the item fails rather than being advised.