MOT failures by make
Jeep MOT failures for “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
Jeep cars failed their MOT on “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” in 1.20% of 141,400 tests in 2023–2024 (1,698 tests) — 4.8 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.25% of tests. It is the number 9 most common failure item on Jeeps.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Jeep tests failing on it
- 1.20%
- 1,698 of 141,400 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.25%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 4.84×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #9 for Jeep
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Jeeps fail 1.02× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 4.75× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Jeep 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 0.27% of MOT tests.
Jeep models and “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
The Jeep Renegade is most affected (11.70× comparable cars); the Jeep Compass least (0.75×). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Renegade | 55,555 | 2.51% | 11.70× |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 20,755 | 0.54% | 1.97× |
| Jeep Wrangler | 13,456 | 0.30% | 1.24× |
| Jeep Cherokee | 21,889 | 0.37% | 1.11× |
| Jeep Compass | 21,014 | 0.12% | 0.75× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 7-8 years old: 2.59% of Jeep tests against 0.25% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Jeep tests | Jeep | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 20,213 | 0.03% | 0.07% |
| 5-6 | 26,264 | 1.09% | 0.18% |
| 7-8 | 39,733 | 2.59% | 0.25% |
| 9-10 | 12,995 | 1.09% | 0.32% |
| 11-12 | 5,457 | 0.50% | 0.23% |
| 13-15 | 7,220 | 0.54% | 0.31% |
| 16+ | 23,132 | 0.73% | 0.48% |
Other Jeep MOT faults that stand out
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative · 2.83× comparable cars
- Position lamp: not working · 1.67× comparable cars
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction · 1.79× 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 Jeep 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.
Has this Jeep failed on it before?
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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.