Does the Vauxhall Frontera fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Vauxhall Frontera records 5.53 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 (−1.33, 95% interval −1.86 to −0.80). It ranks 401 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 Frontera by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Frontera is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 211 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 211 | 2.23 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 72 | 0.76 |
| Excessive movement of centre of steering wheel up or down | 55 | 0.58 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 39 | 0.41 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,460 (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 Frontera gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
8.2% of Vauxhall Frontera MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 3,273 miles later (500 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 500 (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 Frontera 2003 · Vauxhall Frontera 2004 · Vauxhall Frontera by postcode area · Vauxhall Frontera body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Frontera brakes failures · Vauxhall Frontera vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Frontera lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Frontera noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Frontera road wheels failures · Vauxhall Frontera seat belts and airbags failures · Vauxhall Frontera suspension failures · Vauxhall Frontera tyres failures · Vauxhall Frontera visibility failures