Does the Mercedes-Benz E-Class fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class records 0.85 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.40 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.55, 95% interval −1.58 to −1.52). It ranks 430 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 E-Class by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 5,823 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 5,823 | 0.45 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 1,848 | 0.14 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,618 | 0.12 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 385 | 0.03 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 304 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,298,846 (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 E-Class gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
8.5% of Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,816 miles later (7,310 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,310 (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 E-Class 1998 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 1999 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2000 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2001 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2002 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2003 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2004 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2005 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2006 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2007 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2008 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2009 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2010 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2011 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2012 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2013 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2014 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2015 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2017 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2018 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2019 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2020 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Norway · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Finland · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz E-Class by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz E-Class body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class visibility failures