Does the Vauxhall Zafira fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Vauxhall Zafira records 2.65 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.39 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.74, 95% interval −0.77 to −0.71). It ranks 330 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 Zafira by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Vauxhall Zafira is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 22,333 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 22,333 | 1.39 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,796 | 0.36 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 4,403 | 0.27 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 4,141 | 0.26 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 1,354 | 0.08 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,608,690 (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 Zafira gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
12.9% of Vauxhall Zafira MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,092 miles later (23,296 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 23,296 (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 Zafira 1999 · Vauxhall Zafira 2000 · Vauxhall Zafira 2001 · Vauxhall Zafira 2002 · Vauxhall Zafira 2003 · Vauxhall Zafira 2004 · Vauxhall Zafira 2005 · Vauxhall Zafira 2006 · Vauxhall Zafira 2007 · Vauxhall Zafira 2008 · Vauxhall Zafira 2009 · Vauxhall Zafira 2010 · Vauxhall Zafira 2011 · Vauxhall Zafira 2012 · Vauxhall Zafira 2013 · Vauxhall Zafira 2014 · Vauxhall Zafira 2015 · Vauxhall Zafira 2016 · Vauxhall Zafira 2017 · Vauxhall Zafira 2018 · Vauxhall Zafira in Norway · Vauxhall Zafira in Finland · Vauxhall Zafira in the Netherlands · Vauxhall Zafira by postcode area · Vauxhall Zafira body, chassis and structure failures · Vauxhall Zafira brakes failures · Vauxhall Zafira vehicle identification failures · Vauxhall Zafira lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Vauxhall Zafira noise, emissions and leaks failures · Vauxhall Zafira road wheels failures · Vauxhall Zafira seat belts and airbags failures · Vauxhall Zafira suspension failures · Vauxhall Zafira tyres failures · Vauxhall Zafira visibility failures