AIPlateChecker← Check a car

MOT failure item explained

“Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”

Recorded on 621 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

Seen this on a car? Check it free

Every MOT test, every advisory, the mileage record and a condition score, in seconds. No sign-up.

Buying it? The full history report adds finance, write-off, stolen and keeper checks.

Cars with it
621
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
2.5%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
98% of 675 visits
Back next time
1.2%
of 495 follow-up visits

What it means

An anti-roll bar link, often called a drop link, joins the anti-roll bar to the suspension through a small ball joint sealed by a rubber dust cover. This entry means the cover was split or missing, so dirt and water could reach the joint.

It is a major defect, so a failure item. A cover that is severely deteriorated but still keeping dirt out is recorded as a minor defect instead.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 98%Fail, put right during the test 1.6%
1.2% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 1.2% of cases.
71,836 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 9 years old. From the 103 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

0.0%1971–730.0%1980–820.0%1983–850.0%1986–880.3%1989–910.0%1992–940.2%1995–971.2%1998–003.4%2001–034.9%2004–067.5%2007–096.9%2010–123.4%2013–151.1%2016–180.2%2019–210.0%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Audi TT11 of 6018%4.5%
Volkswagen Polo36 of 26014%3.5%
Toyota Prius20 of 14913%3.5%
Volkswagen Transporter10 of 1158.7%2.4%
Audi A315 of 1778.5%2.8%
Honda Jazz46 of 4989.2%4.0%
Volkswagen Passat5 of 568.9%4.1%
Toyota Auris12 of 1438.4%3.7%

Models with 20 or more cars checked here. “Same-age cars” is the share among all checked cars built in the same years, so an older model is compared with older cars.

What to check before you buy

  • Confirm the pass that followed the failed test, and ask for the invoice for the repair.
  • On a test drive over a rough road, listen for a rattle or knock from the corner named in the record.
  • Look at the link on the other side of the car as well. The record names one corner, and the matching link is often the same age.
  • Read the later MOT tests for the same entry.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other suspension entries explained

Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movementCoil spring fractured or brokenShock absorbers has light misting of oilCoil spring corrodedSuspension arm ball joint excessively wornSuspension arm ball joint has slight playAnti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight playShock absorbers has a serious fluid leakSuspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

Repair costs depend on the car, so this page does not quote one. Enter the plate and the free report estimates them for that car, alongside every test and advisory on its record.

Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.