Does the Vauxhall Agila fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Vauxhall Agila records 2.35 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.07 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.72, 95% interval −1.80 to −1.64). It ranks 447 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 Vauxhall Agila by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Agila is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 2,103 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,103 | 0.86 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 2,102 | 0.86 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 833 | 0.34 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 168 | 0.07 |
| Steering linkage retaining or locking device missing or ineffective | 167 | 0.07 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 245,200 (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 Vauxhall Agila gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
14.5% of Vauxhall Agila MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 3,410 miles later (1,907 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,907 (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
Vauxhall Agila 2000 · Vauxhall Agila 2001 · Vauxhall Agila 2002 · Vauxhall Agila 2003 · Vauxhall Agila 2004 · Vauxhall Agila 2005 · Vauxhall Agila 2006 · Vauxhall Agila 2007 · Vauxhall Agila 2008 · Vauxhall Agila 2009 · Vauxhall Agila 2010 · Vauxhall Agila 2011 · Vauxhall Agila 2012 · Vauxhall Agila 2013 · Vauxhall Agila 2014 · Vauxhall Agila 2015 · Vauxhall Agila in the Netherlands · Vauxhall Agila by postcode area · Vauxhall Agila body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Agila brakes failures · Vauxhall Agila vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Agila lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Agila noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Agila road wheels failures · Vauxhall Agila seat belts and airbags failures · Vauxhall Agila suspension failures · Vauxhall Agila tyres failures · Vauxhall Agila visibility failures