Does the Mitsubishi Outlander fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Mitsubishi Outlander records 4.50 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.48 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+3.02, 95% interval +2.96 to +3.09). It ranks 97 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 Mitsubishi Outlander by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mitsubishi Outlander is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 8,404 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 8,404 | 2.09 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 6,736 | 1.68 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,853 | 0.46 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 772 | 0.19 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 79 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 401,860 (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 Mitsubishi Outlander gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
20.6% of Mitsubishi Outlander MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,507 miles later (5,224 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,224 (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
Mitsubishi Outlander 2004 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2005 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2006 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2007 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2008 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2009 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2010 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2011 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2012 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2013 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2014 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2015 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2016 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2017 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2018 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2019 · Mitsubishi Outlander 2020 · Mitsubishi Outlander in Finland · Mitsubishi Outlander in Norway · Mitsubishi Outlander in the Netherlands · Mitsubishi Outlander by postcode area · Mitsubishi Outlander body, chassis and structure failures · Mitsubishi Outlander brakes failures · Mitsubishi Outlander vehicle identification failures · Mitsubishi Outlander lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mitsubishi Outlander noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mitsubishi Outlander road wheels failures · Mitsubishi Outlander seat belts and airbags failures · Mitsubishi Outlander suspension failures · Mitsubishi Outlander tyres failures · Mitsubishi Outlander visibility failures