Does the Volkswagen Transporter fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volkswagen Transporter records 5.35 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 5.51 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.16, 95% interval −0.20 to −0.13). It ranks 241 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 Volkswagen Transporter by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volkswagen Transporter is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 25,642 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 25,642 | 1.58 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 25,623 | 1.58 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 23,816 | 1.47 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 3,246 | 0.20 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 1,397 | 0.09 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,621,121 (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 Volkswagen Transporter gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
14.5% of Volkswagen Transporter MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,451 miles later (33,831 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 33,831 (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
Volkswagen Transporter 1998 · Volkswagen Transporter 1999 · Volkswagen Transporter 2000 · Volkswagen Transporter 2001 · Volkswagen Transporter 2002 · Volkswagen Transporter 2003 · Volkswagen Transporter 2004 · Volkswagen Transporter 2005 · Volkswagen Transporter 2006 · Volkswagen Transporter 2007 · Volkswagen Transporter 2008 · Volkswagen Transporter 2009 · Volkswagen Transporter 2010 · Volkswagen Transporter 2011 · Volkswagen Transporter 2012 · Volkswagen Transporter 2013 · Volkswagen Transporter 2014 · Volkswagen Transporter 2015 · Volkswagen Transporter 2016 · Volkswagen Transporter 2017 · Volkswagen Transporter 2018 · Volkswagen Transporter 2019 · Volkswagen Transporter 2020 · Volkswagen Transporter in Norway · Volkswagen Transporter in Finland · Volkswagen Transporter in the Netherlands · Volkswagen Transporter by postcode area · Volkswagen Transporter body, chassis and structure failures · Volkswagen Transporter brakes failures · Volkswagen Transporter vehicle identification failures · Volkswagen Transporter lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volkswagen Transporter noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volkswagen Transporter road wheels failures · Volkswagen Transporter seat belts and airbags failures · Volkswagen Transporter suspension failures · Volkswagen Transporter tyres failures · Volkswagen Transporter visibility failures