Does the Vauxhall Vectra fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Vauxhall Vectra records 2.58 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 5.11 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.53, 95% interval −2.61 to −2.46). It ranks 517 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 Vectra by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Vectra is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 2,570 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,570 | 0.70 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,207 | 0.60 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 1,544 | 0.42 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 1,071 | 0.29 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 640 | 0.17 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 367,850 (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 Vectra gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
8.1% of Vauxhall Vectra MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 5,164 miles later (6,277 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,277 (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 Vectra 1998 · Vauxhall Vectra 1999 · Vauxhall Vectra 2000 · Vauxhall Vectra 2001 · Vauxhall Vectra 2002 · Vauxhall Vectra 2003 · Vauxhall Vectra 2004 · Vauxhall Vectra 2005 · Vauxhall Vectra 2006 · Vauxhall Vectra 2007 · Vauxhall Vectra 2008 · Vauxhall Vectra 2009 · Vauxhall Vectra in Norway · Vauxhall Vectra in Finland · Vauxhall Vectra in the Netherlands · Vauxhall Vectra by postcode area · Vauxhall Vectra body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Vectra brakes failures · Vauxhall Vectra vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Vectra lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Vectra noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Vectra road wheels failures · Vauxhall Vectra seat belts and airbags failures · Vauxhall Vectra suspension failures · Vauxhall Vectra tyres failures · Vauxhall Vectra visibility failures