Does the Mercedes-Benz C-Class fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class records 1.07 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.63 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.56, 95% interval −1.58 to −1.53). It ranks 431 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 C-Class by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 12,526 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 12,526 | 0.60 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 3,402 | 0.16 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 3,220 | 0.16 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 1,103 | 0.05 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 477 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,072,470 (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 Mercedes-Benz C-Class gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.6% of Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,882 miles later (10,121 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 10,121 (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
Mercedes-Benz C-Class 1998 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 1999 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2000 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2001 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2002 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2003 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2004 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2005 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2006 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2007 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2008 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2009 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2010 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2011 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2012 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2013 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2014 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2015 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2016 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2017 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2018 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2019 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2020 · Mercedes-Benz C-Class in Finland · Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz C-Class in Norway · Mercedes-Benz C-Class by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz C-Class body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz C-Class visibility failures