Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn
This one item accounted for 0.1% of every MOT test carried out in Great Britain, and it is among the commonest faults on 48 different model-and-year combinations. Here is where it clusters, and what it looks like on a car you are standing in front of.
How to spot it before you buy
Push down firmly on each corner — press on the body directly above the wheel, not the middle of a panel — and watch it settle
It should rebound once and stop; continued bouncing means worn shock absorbers (£150–400 a pair). Press only on the strong point over the wheel — bonnets and some wings are plastic or aluminium and can dent or crack if leaned on.
The models it hits hardest
Ranked by how often the fault came up as a share of that model's own tests, not by raw count — a fault in 8% of a small model's tests says more about that model than one in 3% of the Fiesta's. A linked row has a page of its own.
| Model | Years | Share of its tests |
|---|---|---|
| Nissan NV200 | 2010–2013 | 6.1% |
| Renault Trafic | 2014–2017 | 4.9% |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 2014–2017 | 4.7% |
| Renault Megane | 2010–2013 | 4.5% |
| Renault Grand Scenic | 2010–2013 | 4.4% |
| Mazda 5 | 2010–2013 | 4.3% |
| Nissan Qashqai | 2010–2013 | 4.1% |
| Renault Scenic | 2010–2013 | 4.1% |
| Nissan NV200 | 2014–2017 | 3.6% |
| Hyundai I800 | 2010–2013 | 3.5% |
| Nissan Leaf | 2010–2013 | 3.4% |
| Nissan X-Trail | 2010–2013 | 3% |
| Chevrolet Aveo | 2010–2013 | 3% |
| Nissan Elgrand | 2014–2017 | 2.9% |
| Citroen C4 Grand Picasso | 2014–2017 | 2.8% |
| Renault Trafic | 2018–2021 | 2.7% |
| Dacia Duster | 2010–2013 | 2.6% |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | 2010–2013 | 2.6% |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 2018–2021 | 2.5% |
| Citroen C4 Picasso | 2014–2017 | 2.3% |
Showing the worst 20 of 48 affected model-and-year combinations. The full dataset is downloadable below.
Which manufacturers it clusters on
Pooled across each make's whole range, so this is a fact about the brand rather than about one of its models. Makes with at least 50,000 tests.
- 4.1% Nissan
- 3.2% Vauxhall
- 3% Renault
- 1.4% Land Rover
- 0.8% Peugeot
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See whether the car you're looking at has this on record
Type the registration and you get that car's own MOT history — every advisory and every failure, including whether this one has already come up.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023. Class 4 standard tests only. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.