Does the Suzuki Vitara fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Suzuki Vitara records 0.36 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.98 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.62, 95% interval −0.66 to −0.59). It ranks 308 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 Vitara by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Suzuki Vitara is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 385 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 385 | 0.14 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 108 | 0.04 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 93 | 0.03 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 93 | 0.03 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 49 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 282,770 (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 Vitara gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.0% of Suzuki Vitara MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,755 miles later (681 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 681 (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 Vitara 1999 · Suzuki Vitara 2000 · Suzuki Vitara 2002 · Suzuki Vitara 2015 · Suzuki Vitara 2016 · Suzuki Vitara 2017 · Suzuki Vitara 2018 · Suzuki Vitara 2019 · Suzuki Vitara 2020 · Suzuki Vitara in Norway · Suzuki Vitara in Finland · Suzuki Vitara in the Netherlands · Suzuki Vitara by postcode area · Suzuki Vitara body, chassis and structure failures · Suzuki Vitara brakes failures · Suzuki Vitara vehicle identification failures · Suzuki Vitara lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Suzuki Vitara noise, emissions and leaks failures · Suzuki Vitara road wheels failures · Suzuki Vitara seat belts and airbags failures · Suzuki Vitara suspension failures · Suzuki Vitara tyres failures · Suzuki Vitara visibility failures