Does the Austin Mini fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Austin Mini records 9.73 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.65 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.08, 95% interval +1.67 to +2.49). It ranks 113 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Austin Mini by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Austin Mini is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 869 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 869 | 4.00 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 746 | 3.43 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 201 | 0.93 |
| Excessive movement of centre of steering wheel up or down | 45 | 0.21 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 42 | 0.19 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 21,727 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Austin Mini by postcode area · Austin Mini body, chassis and structure failures · Austin Mini brakes failures · Austin Mini vehicle identification failures · Austin Mini lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Austin Mini noise, emissions and leaks failures · Austin Mini road wheels failures · Austin Mini seat belts and airbags failures · Austin Mini suspension failures · Austin Mini tyres failures · Austin Mini visibility failures