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MOT failure item explained

“Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn”

Recorded on 993 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

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Cars with it
993
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
3.9%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
99.3% of 1,213 visits
Back next time
3.6%
of 923 follow-up visits

What it means

A ball joint connects the suspension arm to the wheel hub and lets the wheel steer and move up and down. This entry means the tester found more free movement in the joint than the test allows.

It is a major defect, so the car fails until the joint or the arm has been replaced. Slight play in the same joint may be noted as an advisory.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 99.3%Fail, put right during the test 0.7%
3.6% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 3.6% of cases.
66,036 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 8 years old. From the 238 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

0.0%1971–731.2%1980–821.6%1983–850.0%1986–880.9%1989–911.2%1992–940.9%1995–972.3%1998–003.4%2001–035.9%2004–067.5%2007–099.4%2010–127.0%2013–152.8%2016–181.0%2019–210.2%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Renault Clio39 of 12431%4.8%
Mazda 611 of 3928%5.6%
Nissan Juke48 of 20224%4.0%
Mazda 220 of 8125%5.4%
Ford Fiesta114 of 48723%5.6%
Mazda 325 of 11123%4.9%
Renault Captur12 of 6219%3.3%
Vauxhall Vivaro14 of 8217%3.2%

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

  • Find the failed test and the pass that followed it, and ask for the invoice for the work.
  • On a test drive, listen for knocking from the front over bumps and feel for vagueness in the steering.
  • Look at the front tyres for uneven wear across the tread.
  • Check the later tests for the same entry on the other side of the car.

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 has slight playAnti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirtAnti-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 19 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.