MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Does the Rover 216 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?

The Rover 216 records 3.30 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.44 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−4.14, 95% interval −4.81 to −3.47). It ranks 599 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 Rover 216 by registration

What exactly fails on steering?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Rover 216 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 64 times in 2019–2024.

Rover 216: most frequent steering defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wordingItemsPer 100 tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play641.00
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc620.97
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated310.49

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,372 (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

Other pages for this model

Rover 216 by postcode area · Rover 216 body, chassis and structure failures · Rover 216 brakes failures · Rover 216 vehicle identification failures · Rover 216 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Rover 216 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Rover 216 seat belts and airbags failures · Rover 216 suspension failures · Rover 216 tyres failures · Rover 216 visibility failures