Does the Honda Prelude fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Honda Prelude records 14.28 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.19 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+7.09, 95% interval +6.24 to +7.93). It ranks 29 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 Honda Prelude by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Honda Prelude is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 532 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 532 | 6.90 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 382 | 4.96 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 43 | 0.56 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 38 | 0.49 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,705 (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
Honda Prelude by postcode area · Honda Prelude body, chassis and structure failures · Honda Prelude brakes failures · Honda Prelude vehicle identification failures · Honda Prelude lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Honda Prelude noise, emissions and leaks failures · Honda Prelude seat belts and airbags failures · Honda Prelude suspension failures · Honda Prelude tyres failures · Honda Prelude visibility failures