Does the Volvo 900 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volvo 900 records 7.27 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.61 expected for a car 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) (−0.34, 95% interval −0.79 to +0.11). It ranks 265 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 Volvo 900 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo 900 is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 293 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 | 293 | 2.03 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 293 | 2.03 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 278 | 1.92 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 94 | 0.65 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 14,448 (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 Volvo 900 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
11.6% of Volvo 900 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 2,528 miles later (836 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 836 (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
Volvo 900 by postcode area · Volvo 900 body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo 900 brakes failures · Volvo 900 vehicle identification failures · Volvo 900 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo 900 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo 900 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo 900 suspension failures · Volvo 900 tyres failures · Volvo 900 visibility failures