MOT failures by make
Hyundai MOT failures for “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play”
Hyundai cars failed their MOT on “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” in 1.33% of 1,757,584 tests in 2023–2024 (23,368 tests) — 1.7 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.79% of tests. It is the number 8 most common failure item on Hyundais.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Hyundai tests failing on it
- 1.33%
- 23,368 of 1,757,584 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.79%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 1.67×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #8 for Hyundai
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Hyundais fail 1.08× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 1.54× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Hyundai pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the steering part of the test. Nationally it appears on 1.07% of MOT tests.
Hyundai models and “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play”
The Hyundai ix20 is most affected (5.79× comparable cars); the Hyundai Kona least (0.13×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai ix20 | 58,240 | 5.11% | 5.79× |
| Hyundai i30 | 211,998 | 4.38% | 3.59× |
| Hyundai i40 | 43,423 | 3.82% | 3.15× |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 67,599 | 2.78% | 1.84× |
| Hyundai Tucson | 263,314 | 0.55% | 1.59× |
| Hyundai ix35 | 104,677 | 2.30% | 1.42× |
| Hyundai Coupe | 13,208 | 2.29% | 1.41× |
| Hyundai i800 | 16,542 | 1.20% | 1.27× |
| Hyundai i20 | 254,226 | 0.29% | 0.34× |
| Hyundai Amica | 12,525 | 0.51% | 0.33× |
| Hyundai Getz | 42,580 | 0.53% | 0.31× |
| Hyundai i10 | 488,744 | 0.25% | 0.30× |
| Hyundai Ioniq | 77,698 | 0.02% | 0.29× |
| Hyundai Kona | 73,144 | 0.01% | 0.13× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 9-10 years old: 3.36% of Hyundai tests against 1.21% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Hyundai tests | Hyundai | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 269,791 | 0.14% | 0.06% |
| 5-6 | 318,368 | 0.11% | 0.19% |
| 7-8 | 303,019 | 0.76% | 0.59% |
| 9-10 | 264,283 | 3.36% | 1.21% |
| 11-12 | 215,243 | 2.70% | 1.62% |
| 13-15 | 206,870 | 1.96% | 1.60% |
| 16+ | 86,560 | 1.76% | 1.61% |
Other Hyundai MOT faults that stand out
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements · 2.61× comparable cars
- Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side · 2.84× comparable cars
- Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt · 2.73× comparable cars
- Service brake performance: excessively binding · 1.70× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Hyundai tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.