What does 3.2 mean on an MOT certificate?

It refers to sub-section 3.2 of the MOT inspection manual, "Condition of glass", within section 3, visibility. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 8 listed here. 1 of them is graded Dangerous, 5 Major and 2 Minor.

Which condition of glass defect is recorded most often?

"Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured and affecting the driver’s view of the road or of an obligatory external mirror" (3.2 (a)(ii)), recorded about 0.0 times per 100 failed MOT tests nationally. We explain what it means and what puts it right.

Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?

No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.

Section 3 · Visibility

3.2 Condition of glass

Manual indexed 3 September 2026

Quick answer

Sub-section 3.2 of the MOT inspection manual covers condition of glass and lists 8 defects, 1 of them Dangerous. A reference like "(3.2 (a)(i))" on a certificate points to the matching row below. The most recorded is "Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured and affecting the driver’s view of the road or of an obligatory external mirror", about 0.0 times per 100 failed tests.

Official wording

The defect clauses

3.2 (a)(i)Minor
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver’s view
Windscreen damaged in the swept area explained: what it means and what puts it right
3.2 (a)(ii)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured and affecting the driver’s view of the road or of an obligatory external mirror
Mirror missing, damaged or insecure explained: what it means and what puts it right
3.2 (b)(i)Minor
Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver’s view
Window glass damaged or too heavily tinted explained: what it means and what puts it right
3.2 (b)(ii)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails
Windscreen or window excessively tinted and visibility through swept area of windscreen or of an obligatory external mirror seriously affected
Mirror missing, damaged or insecure explained: what it means and what puts it right
3.2 (c)(i)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails
Windscreen or window in an unacceptable condition e.g. due to excessive scratching
3.2 (c)(ii)Dangerous
Windscreen or window in such a condition that visibility through swept area is seriously affected
3.2 (d)Major
The windscreen or a window wholly or partly on either side of the driver’s seat is not made from safety glass
3.2 (e)Major
A window not wholly or partly on either side of the driver’s seat is not made from safety glass or safety glazing

Wording and categories reproduced from the DVSA inspection manual under the Open Government Licence. Frequencies are items per 100 failed class 4 tests across the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset; a clause with no figure was not recorded often enough to appear in any model’s top forty failure items. 4 of 8 clauses link to our own explanation.

Grading

What the categories mean

Dangerous: a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The vehicle fails and must not be driven until repaired, even to a garage.
Major: a defect that affects safety, the environment or other road users. The vehicle fails.
Minor: a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes.

The full guide to defect grading

Section 3

Other sub-sections of visibility

All sections of the manual

Common questions

What does 3.2 mean on an MOT certificate?: It refers to sub-section 3.2 of the MOT inspection manual, "Condition of glass", within section 3, visibility. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 8 listed here. 1 of them is graded Dangerous, 5 Major and 2 Minor.
Which condition of glass defect is recorded most often?: "Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured and affecting the driver’s view of the road or of an obligatory external mirror" (3.2 (a)(ii)), recorded about 0.0 times per 100 failed MOT tests nationally. We explain what it means and what puts it right.
Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?: No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.