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MOT failure item explained

“Track rod end ball joint has excessive play”

Recorded on 798 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item.

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Cars with it
798
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
3.2%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
96% of 1,017 visits
Back next time
2.2%
of 783 follow-up visits

What it means

The track rod ends are the joints that connect the steering rack to the front wheels. This entry means the tester found more free movement in one than the test allows.

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

How it shows up in the records

Fail 96%Fail, marked dangerous 2.0%Fail, put right during the test 1.9%
2.2% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 2.2% of cases.
68,598 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 8 years old. From the 130 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

3.4%1971–730.0%1980–822.4%1983–853.9%1986–883.6%1989–912.5%1992–944.1%1995–974.8%1998–006.5%2001–037.4%2004–065.2%2007–097.2%2010–124.3%2013–151.6%2016–180.4%2019–210.1%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Land Rover Freelander12 of 4229%5.7%
Renault Clio29 of 12423%3.5%
Citroen C410 of 5917%3.4%
Nissan Juke31 of 20215%2.5%
Peugeot 30810 of 6615%3.4%
Ford Fiesta76 of 48716%3.9%
Mazda 29 of 8111%3.7%
Nissan Qashqai32 of 3449.3%2.2%

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.
  • Ask whether the wheel alignment was set after the joint was replaced.
  • On a test drive, check that the steering is precise and the car does not wander on a straight road.
  • Look at the front tyres for uneven wear.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other steering entries explained

Play in steering rack jointTrack rod end ball joint has slight playTrack rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated but preventing the ingress of dirt

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.