MOT cost .

Failure category

Steering

Steering rack, gaiters, ball joints, swivel pins, wheel bearings, stub axles.

Defect codes

18

Total fails

762,756

Defect codes in this category, ranked.

Sorted by total cars affected last year. Click any row for the full defect description plus the models most at risk.

  1. 01

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    225 models affected

    340,379
  2. 02

    A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

    200 models affected

    326,251
  3. 03

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    38 models affected

    78,327
  4. 04

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    53 models affected

    9,090
  5. 05

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    2 models affected

    2,961
  6. 06

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    5 models affected

    1,759
  7. 07

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    32 models affected

    1,429
  8. 08

    Steering head bearings excessively stiff, notchy, or with excessive wear or play

    59 models affected

    1,380
  9. 09

    Steering head bearings have excessive wear or play

    31 models affected

    622
  10. 10

    Steering box leaking oil

    1 models affected

    241
  11. 11

    A steering linkage component with excessive movement between components or likely to become detached

    1 models affected

    230
  12. 12

    Steering ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    2 models affected

    34
  13. 13

    Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

    1 models affected

    18
  14. 14

    Steering lock missing or not functioning

    3 models affected

    14
  15. 15

    Steering head bearings have excessive wear or play

    1 models affected

    11
  16. 16

    A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

    2 models affected

    7
  17. 17

    Steering head bearings in such a condition that steering control is adversely affected

    1 models affected

    2
  18. 18

    Steering linkage fouling any part of the motorcycle

    1 models affected

    1

Brands most affected.

Total category-fails across each manufacturer's tested fleet. High-volume brands naturally lead — read alongside their model pass-rates.