Does the Nissan X-Trail fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Nissan X-Trail records 5.67 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.55 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+3.12, 95% interval +3.06 to +3.19). It ranks 93 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 X-Trail by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Nissan X-Trail is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 20,708 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 20,708 | 3.80 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 5,471 | 1.00 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,120 | 0.39 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 1,356 | 0.25 |
| Power steering fluid level below minimum mark | 303 | 0.06 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 544,942 (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 X-Trail gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
20.3% of Nissan X-Trail MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,660 miles later (12,902 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 12,902 (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 X-Trail 2001 · Nissan X-Trail 2002 · Nissan X-Trail 2003 · Nissan X-Trail 2004 · Nissan X-Trail 2005 · Nissan X-Trail 2006 · Nissan X-Trail 2007 · Nissan X-Trail 2008 · Nissan X-Trail 2009 · Nissan X-Trail 2010 · Nissan X-Trail 2011 · Nissan X-Trail 2012 · Nissan X-Trail 2013 · Nissan X-Trail 2014 · Nissan X-Trail 2015 · Nissan X-Trail 2016 · Nissan X-Trail 2017 · Nissan X-Trail 2018 · Nissan X-Trail 2019 · Nissan X-Trail 2020 · Nissan X-Trail in Norway · Nissan X-Trail in Finland · Nissan X-Trail in the Netherlands · Nissan X-Trail by postcode area · Nissan X-Trail body, chassis and structure failures · Nissan X-Trail brakes failures · Nissan X-Trail vehicle identification failures · Nissan X-Trail lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Nissan X-Trail noise, emissions and leaks failures · Nissan X-Trail road wheels failures · Nissan X-Trail seat belts and airbags failures · Nissan X-Trail suspension failures · Nissan X-Trail tyres failures · Nissan X-Trail visibility failures