Does the Mercedes-Benz CLC fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz CLC records 4.38 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.30 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.08, 95% interval −0.11 to +0.28). It ranks 213 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 CLC by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz CLC is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 1,461 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,461 | 3.32 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 162 | 0.37 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 127 | 0.29 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 88 | 0.20 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 44,029 (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 CLC gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
14.2% of Mercedes-Benz CLC MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,593 miles later (730 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 730 (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 CLC 2008 · Mercedes-Benz CLC 2009 · Mercedes-Benz CLC 2010 · Mercedes-Benz CLC 2011 · Mercedes-Benz CLC by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz CLC body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz CLC visibility failures