Does the Vauxhall Vivaro fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Vauxhall Vivaro records 13.17 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.97 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+9.20, 95% interval +9.13 to +9.27). It ranks 7 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 Vivaro by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Vivaro is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 110,504 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 110,504 | 10.32 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 10,681 | 1.00 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 6,694 | 0.63 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 5,541 | 0.52 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 1,637 | 0.15 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,070,627 (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 Vivaro gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
22.0% of Vauxhall Vivaro MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 7,270 miles later (50,436 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 50,436 (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 Vivaro 2001 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2002 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2003 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2004 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2005 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2006 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2007 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2008 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2009 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2010 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2011 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2012 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2013 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2014 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2015 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2016 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2017 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2018 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2019 · Vauxhall Vivaro 2020 · Vauxhall Vivaro in Norway · Vauxhall Vivaro in the Netherlands · Vauxhall Vivaro by postcode area · Vauxhall Vivaro body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Vivaro brakes failures · Vauxhall Vivaro vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Vivaro lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Vivaro noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Vivaro road wheels failures · Vauxhall Vivaro seat belts and airbags failures · Vauxhall Vivaro suspension failures · Vauxhall Vivaro tyres failures · Vauxhall Vivaro visibility failures