Does the Mercedes-Benz Citan fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz Citan records 4.11 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.04 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+2.07, 95% interval +1.95 to +2.20). It ranks 114 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 Citan by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz Citan is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 3,631 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 3,631 | 3.58 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 179 | 0.18 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 98 | 0.10 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 96 | 0.09 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 65 | 0.06 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 101,471 (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 Citan gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
20.4% of Mercedes-Benz Citan MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 9,578 miles later (1,610 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,610 (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 Citan 2013 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2014 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2015 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2016 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2017 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2018 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2019 · Mercedes-Benz Citan 2020 · Mercedes-Benz Citan in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz Citan by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz Citan body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz Citan visibility failures