Does the Nissan Primastar fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Nissan Primastar records 16.69 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.48 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+9.21, 95% interval +8.90 to +9.51). It ranks 6 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 Primastar by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Nissan Primastar is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 8,368 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 8,368 | 12.16 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 813 | 1.18 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 756 | 1.10 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 656 | 0.95 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 231 | 0.34 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 68,843 (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 Primastar gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
20.7% of Nissan Primastar MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,678 miles later (4,536 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,536 (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 Primastar 2002 · Nissan Primastar 2003 · Nissan Primastar 2004 · Nissan Primastar 2005 · Nissan Primastar 2006 · Nissan Primastar 2007 · Nissan Primastar 2008 · Nissan Primastar 2009 · Nissan Primastar 2010 · Nissan Primastar 2011 · Nissan Primastar 2012 · Nissan Primastar 2013 · Nissan Primastar 2014 · Nissan Primastar by postcode area · Nissan Primastar body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan Primastar brakes failures · Nissan Primastar vehicle identification failures · Nissan Primastar lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan Primastar noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan Primastar road wheels failures · Nissan Primastar seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan Primastar suspension failures · Nissan Primastar tyres failures · Nissan Primastar visibility failures