Does the MINI Hatch fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The MINI Hatch records 1.93 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.11 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.18, 95% interval −1.20 to −1.17). It ranks 383 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 MINI Hatch by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the MINI Hatch is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 38,119 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 38,119 | 1.09 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 9,199 | 0.26 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 6,193 | 0.18 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 5,341 | 0.15 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 1,906 | 0.05 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,506,675 (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 MINI Hatch gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
12.5% of MINI Hatch MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,234 miles later (61,980 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 61,980 (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
MINI Hatch 2001 · MINI Hatch 2002 · MINI Hatch 2003 · MINI Hatch 2004 · MINI Hatch 2005 · MINI Hatch 2006 · MINI Hatch 2007 · MINI Hatch 2008 · MINI Hatch 2009 · MINI Hatch 2010 · MINI Hatch 2011 · MINI Hatch 2012 · MINI Hatch 2013 · MINI Hatch 2014 · MINI Hatch 2015 · MINI Hatch 2016 · MINI Hatch 2017 · MINI Hatch 2018 · MINI Hatch 2019 · MINI Hatch 2020 · MINI Hatch in Finland · MINI Hatch in the Netherlands · MINI Hatch in Norway · MINI Hatch by postcode area · MINI Hatch body, chassis and structure failures · MINI Hatch brakes failures · MINI Hatch vehicle identification failures · MINI Hatch lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · MINI Hatch noise, emissions and leaks failures · MINI Hatch road wheels failures · MINI Hatch seat belts and airbags failures · MINI Hatch suspension failures · MINI Hatch tyres failures · MINI Hatch visibility failures