Does the Toyota MR2 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Toyota MR2 records 3.17 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 6.86 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−3.69, 95% interval −3.89 to −3.50). It ranks 581 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 Toyota MR2 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Toyota MR2 is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 771 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 771 | 1.08 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 585 | 0.82 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 177 | 0.25 |
| Excessive wear or play in a universal joint or a flexible coupling excessively deteriorated | 98 | 0.14 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 96 | 0.13 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 71,364 (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 Toyota MR2 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
5.6% of Toyota MR2 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 1,843 miles later (1,312 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,312 (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
Toyota MR2 1998 · Toyota MR2 1999 · Toyota MR2 2000 · Toyota MR2 2001 · Toyota MR2 2002 · Toyota MR2 2003 · Toyota MR2 2004 · Toyota MR2 2005 · Toyota MR2 2006 · Toyota MR2 2007 · Toyota MR2 in the Netherlands · Toyota MR2 by postcode area · Toyota MR2 body, chassis and structure failures · Toyota MR2 brakes failures · Toyota MR2 vehicle identification failures · Toyota MR2 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Toyota MR2 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Toyota MR2 road wheels failures · Toyota MR2 seat belts and airbags failures · Toyota MR2 suspension failures · Toyota MR2 tyres failures · Toyota MR2 visibility failures