Does the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter records 3.77 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 5.83 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.06, 95% interval −2.20 to −1.92). It ranks 488 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 Sprinter by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 2,330 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,330 | 2.00 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 789 | 0.68 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 454 | 0.39 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 245 | 0.21 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 156 | 0.13 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 116,788 (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 Sprinter gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
9.8% of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,654 miles later (4,152 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,152 (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 Sprinter 1998 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1999 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2000 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2001 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2002 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2003 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2004 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2005 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2006 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2007 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2008 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2009 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2010 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2011 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2012 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2013 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2014 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2015 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2016 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2017 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2018 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2019 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2020 · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in Norway · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in Finland · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter visibility failures