Does the Fiat 500X fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Fiat 500X records 6.62 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.87 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+5.75, 95% interval +5.64 to +5.87). It ranks 45 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 Fiat 500X by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Fiat 500X is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 6,419 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 6,419 | 3.61 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 4,215 | 2.37 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,059 | 0.59 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 53 | 0.03 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 178,008 (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 Fiat 500X gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
25.7% of Fiat 500X MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,677 miles later (600 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 600 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Fiat 500X 2015 · Fiat 500X 2016 · Fiat 500X 2017 · Fiat 500X 2018 · Fiat 500X 2019 · Fiat 500X 2020 · Fiat 500X in the Netherlands · Fiat 500X by postcode area · Fiat 500X body, chassis and structure failures · Fiat 500X brakes failures · Fiat 500X vehicle identification failures · Fiat 500X lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Fiat 500X noise, emissions and leaks failures · Fiat 500X road wheels failures · Fiat 500X seat belts and airbags failures · Fiat 500X suspension failures · Fiat 500X tyres failures · Fiat 500X visibility failures