Does the Nissan Micra fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Nissan Micra records 2.52 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.17 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.65, 95% interval −1.69 to −1.62). It ranks 442 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 Nissan Micra by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Nissan Micra is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 25,629 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 25,629 | 1.58 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 6,646 | 0.41 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 3,977 | 0.25 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 1,076 | 0.07 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 705 | 0.04 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,622,493 (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 Nissan Micra gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
17.7% of Nissan Micra MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,356 miles later (21,049 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 21,049 (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
Nissan Micra 1998 · Nissan Micra 1999 · Nissan Micra 2000 · Nissan Micra 2001 · Nissan Micra 2002 · Nissan Micra 2003 · Nissan Micra 2004 · Nissan Micra 2005 · Nissan Micra 2006 · Nissan Micra 2007 · Nissan Micra 2008 · Nissan Micra 2009 · Nissan Micra 2010 · Nissan Micra 2011 · Nissan Micra 2012 · Nissan Micra 2013 · Nissan Micra 2014 · Nissan Micra 2015 · Nissan Micra 2016 · Nissan Micra 2017 · Nissan Micra 2018 · Nissan Micra 2019 · Nissan Micra 2020 · Nissan Micra in Norway · Nissan Micra in Finland · Nissan Micra in the Netherlands · Nissan Micra by postcode area · Nissan Micra body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Micra brakes failures · Nissan Micra vehicle identification failures · Nissan Micra lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Micra noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan Micra road wheels failures · Nissan Micra seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Micra suspension failures · Nissan Micra tyres failures · Nissan Micra visibility failures