At a Glance
UK cars have seen 18.9M steering problems recorded across 20 years of DVSA MOT data. Microcars over-index on this category by +93% vs the UK average. The category's per-test fail rate has dropped since 2006 — 3.5% → 2.1% (-38% change).
Trend rates normalise failures by UK MOT test volume each year, so a growing number of cars on UK roads doesn't distort the signal. Read our DVSA data analysis methodology →
About Steering Problems on UK Cars
The steering category covers a major portion of UK MOT failures across cars, vans, and pickups. UK testers have recorded 18.9M steering problems across 20 years of DVSA data — patterns useful for buyers checking a used car, owners scheduling preventive repairs, and journalists writing about UK road safety.
Below: which UK car makes most commonly fail MOTs in this category, the specific steering problems testers record most often, body-type comparisons, and 20 years of trend data — all drawn from DVSA records, no editorial picks.
UK Car Makes Most Affected by Steering
Top 15 UK car makes ranked by steering problems recorded in DVSA MOT data
Switch between raw Problem count (Ford, Vauxhall lead because they're bigger fleets), Per-test rate (steering problems divided by this make's total MOT tests — normalises for fleet size), and MOT tests (fleet size for context). Hover any bar for all three values plus share of UK steering problems.
Most Common Steering Problems
The 20 most frequently recorded steering problems across all UK makes and models
1.Track rod end worn
17.3M (56.2%)2.Steering rack fault
3.5M (11.3%)3.Ball joint worn
2.6M (8.5%)4.Steering free play excessive
1.8M (5.7%)5.Power steering pipe or hose leaking
1.6M (5.1%)6.Drag link end worn
1.0M (3.4%)7.Steering column fault
506K (1.6%)8.Steering operation fault
440K (1.4%)9.Steering arm worn
408K (1.3%)10.Power steering pump fault
382K (1.2%)11.Steering box fault
258K (0.84%)12.Power steering ram fault
220K (0.72%)13.Steering lock fault
219K (0.71%)14.Steering coupling worn
193K (0.63%)15.Universal joint worn
80K (0.26%)16.Electric power steering fault
76K (0.25%)17.Steering wheel damaged or insecure
71K (0.23%)18.Steering damper fault
58K (0.19%)19.Steering shaft fault
57K (0.18%)20.Steering drive system fault
34K (0.11%)Steering Trend — 20 Years of UK MOT Data
Per-year steering failure rate vs the UK all-category average
Each line is the per-year failure rate as a percentage of UK MOT tests. Steering rate has dropped from 3.5% (2006) to 2.1% (2024) — a -38% change. Use the filter pills to toggle either line.
Showing all categories. Click a pill to hide; double-click to isolate.
Which Body Type Fails Most on Steering?
Per-body-type steering problem rate deviation from UK average
A body type that bulges right over-indexes on steering per MOT test — structurally more steering failures than the UK baseline, not just more problems because it's popular.
Note on body-type classification: each model is assigned a single primary body style. Multi-body models (e.g. Volvo 240, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, Ford Mondeo) appear under their dominant body — usually saloon — even when they had significant estate or hatchback variants. So the “saloon” bar above includes some genuine estate volume. We're working on per-generation body-type data to fix this.
Tell Us About a Steering Problem
Had a steering problem with your car? Report it and we'll add it to the database.
Tell Us About a Steering Problem
Had a steering problem with your car? Report it and we'll add it to the database.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common steering problems on UK cars?
Based on DVSA MOT test records, the top steering problems are track rod end worn, steering rack fault, ball joint worn. These three account for 76% of all steering failures recorded.
Which UK make has the most steering problems?
By absolute volume, Ford has the most steering problems recorded (5,120,148 occurrences, 15.4% of all UK steering problems) — which partly reflects how many Ford vehicles are on UK roads, not just reliability. See the Most Affected Makes list above for the full ranking.
Which body type fails most on steering?
Microcars over-index on steering failures by 93% vs the UK average, while Sportss are 36% below average. See the body-type deviation chart above.
Is steering getting better or worse over time?
Steering failures have improved over the 20-year window — 2006: 3.5% of UK MOT tests → 2024: 2.1% (-38% change). Compare against the UK all-categories line on the chart for context.
How is this data calculated?
DVSA publishes anonymised MOT test records under the Open Government Licence v3. We classify every Reason-for-Rejection (RfR) item into one of 11 DVSA-tested categories, aggregate counts across 20 years of data, and normalise per-year rates by UK MOT test volume so growth in the number of cars on UK roads doesn't distort the trend. Read the full methodology for details.
