Does the Nissan Pathfinder fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Nissan Pathfinder records 9.57 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.37 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+5.20, 95% interval +4.92 to +5.49). It ranks 56 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 Pathfinder by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Nissan Pathfinder is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 3,551 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 3,551 | 7.68 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 236 | 0.51 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 216 | 0.47 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 124 | 0.27 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 95 | 0.21 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 46,239 (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 Pathfinder gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
23.4% of Nissan Pathfinder MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,634 miles later (1,979 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,979 (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 Pathfinder 2005 · Nissan Pathfinder 2006 · Nissan Pathfinder 2007 · Nissan Pathfinder 2008 · Nissan Pathfinder 2009 · Nissan Pathfinder 2010 · Nissan Pathfinder 2011 · Nissan Pathfinder 2012 · Nissan Pathfinder 2013 · Nissan Pathfinder 2014 · Nissan Pathfinder in Norway · Nissan Pathfinder by postcode area · Nissan Pathfinder body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Pathfinder brakes failures · Nissan Pathfinder vehicle identification failures · Nissan Pathfinder lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Pathfinder noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan Pathfinder road wheels failures · Nissan Pathfinder seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Pathfinder suspension failures · Nissan Pathfinder tyres failures · Nissan Pathfinder visibility failures