Does the Mercedes-Benz 320 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz 320 records 3.93 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 6.40 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.47, 95% interval −3.41 to −1.52). It ranks 510 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 Mercedes-Benz 320 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz 320 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 54 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 54 | 1.95 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,771 (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
Mercedes-Benz 320 body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz 320 visibility failures