Why cars fail their MOT on steering (and what it costs)
Steering faults fail 1.84 percent of car MOTs. Less common, but on an accident salvage a steering fault can point at hidden impact damage. What to check.
MOT DATA · 4 min read
Less common, worth respecting
Steering faults fail 1.84 percent of car MOTs, so they are further down the list. But steering shares parts and geometry with suspension, and on an accident car a steering fault can be the visible sign of a harder hit than the panels suggest.
What fails
Worn track rod ends and ball joints, play in the steering rack, leaking power steering, and worn column or coupling parts are the usual causes. Excessive play or a leaking rack are the ones that fail, and knocks from worn joints get picked up on the test.
What it costs
Track rod ends are cheap, often twenty to forty pounds a side plus alignment. A steering rack is the big one, from a couple of hundred pounds up, more on electric power steering racks. Most steering fails are the cheaper joints rather than the rack.
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The salvage angle
On a front-corner accident salvage, a steering fault is a flag to check the rack, track rods and geometry properly, because a bent steering component means the impact reached the running gear. Budget alignment as standard after any front-end repair, and let the Analyzer carry steering and geometry work when the damage is front or offside front.
Where to get the parts
Sourcing the part yourself rather than leaving it to a garage's mark-up is usually where the saving is. GSF Car Parts carries most of what a job like this needs, with click and collect from local branches.
Browse parts at GSF Car Parts →
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