Does the Mercedes-Benz V-Class fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz V-Class records 0.57 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.03 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) (−0.46, 95% interval −0.55 to −0.37). It ranks 286 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 V-Class by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 120 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 120 | 0.23 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 76 | 0.14 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 54 | 0.10 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 52,659 (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
Other pages for this model
Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2015 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2016 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2017 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2018 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2019 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2020 · Mercedes-Benz V-Class in Norway · Mercedes-Benz V-Class in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz V-Class by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz V-Class body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz V-Class visibility failures