Does the BMW X1 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?

The BMW X1 records 0.19 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.43 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.24, 95% interval −1.27 to −1.21). It ranks 390 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 BMW X1 by registration

What exactly fails on steering?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the BMW X1 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 363 times in 2019–2024.

BMW X1: most frequent steering defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wording	Items	Per 100 tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play	363	0.07
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc	238	0.05
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated	94	0.02
Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive	41	0.01
Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning	37	0.01

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 503,065 (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

If a BMW X1 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?

3.9% of BMW X1 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,104 miles later (1,022 advisories followed).

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,022 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Does the BMW X1 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?

What exactly fails on steering?

If a BMW X1 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?

Related pages

Other pages for this model