Does the Suzuki Swift fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Suzuki Swift records 0.85 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.58 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.73, 95% interval −1.77 to −1.70). It ranks 449 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 Suzuki Swift by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Suzuki Swift is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 2,131 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 2,131 | 0.29 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,339 | 0.18 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,331 | 0.18 |
| Steering linkage retaining or locking device missing or ineffective | 430 | 0.06 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 261 | 0.03 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 746,543 (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 Suzuki Swift gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
5.9% of Suzuki Swift MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 5,482 miles later (2,646 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,646 (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
Suzuki Swift 2001 · Suzuki Swift 2002 · Suzuki Swift 2003 · Suzuki Swift 2005 · Suzuki Swift 2006 · Suzuki Swift 2007 · Suzuki Swift 2008 · Suzuki Swift 2009 · Suzuki Swift 2010 · Suzuki Swift 2011 · Suzuki Swift 2012 · Suzuki Swift 2013 · Suzuki Swift 2014 · Suzuki Swift 2015 · Suzuki Swift 2016 · Suzuki Swift 2017 · Suzuki Swift 2018 · Suzuki Swift 2019 · Suzuki Swift 2020 · Suzuki Swift in Norway · Suzuki Swift in Finland · Suzuki Swift in the Netherlands · Suzuki Swift by postcode area · Suzuki Swift body, chassis and structure failures · Suzuki Swift brakes failures · Suzuki Swift vehicle identification failures · Suzuki Swift lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Suzuki Swift noise, emissions and leaks failures · Suzuki Swift road wheels failures · Suzuki Swift seat belts and airbags failures · Suzuki Swift suspension failures · Suzuki Swift tyres failures · Suzuki Swift visibility failures