Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

Chevrolet Spark steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 14,596 MOT tests · Updated

At 12 years, 1.8 in 100 MOT tests of the Chevrolet Spark failed on steering, against 2.8 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 14,596 MOT tests) [1].

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.8×) (all test years), 269 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 7 ages from 9 to 15 years, 59,796 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Steering track rod end: ball joint play, 1.0 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

1.8 fails per 100 MOT tests at 12 years, against 2.8 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 12 (all test years). The Chevrolet Spark fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Chevrolet Spark steering fails by age

Chevrolet Spark steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Chevrolet Spark. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.01239 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 4,909 MOT tests910 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 8,693 MOT tests1011 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 12,400 MOT tests1112 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 14,596 MOT tests1213 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 10,185 MOT tests1314 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 6,289 MOT tests1415 years: 2.3 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 2,724 MOT tests15
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Chevrolet Spark All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
94,9090.91.8
108,6931.22.1
1112,4001.72.5
1214,5961.82.8
1310,1852.22.9
146,2892.43.2
152,7242.33.3

All first-use years of the Chevrolet Spark pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the steering at 12 years

Fails

  • Steering track rod end: ball joint play: 1.0 fails per 100 MOT tests, all class 4 vehicles 1.9. Replace track rod end: estimated £54–£128 (0.5–1 h at £78/h (ONS local-garage repair quotes, 1,058 quotes from 65 garages, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) + parts £15–£50) Track rod end ball joint has excessive play MOT fail

Advisories (not fails)

Replace track rod end cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

Buying a Chevrolet Spark? Check that exact car before the viewing.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Track rod end: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt.

Check one Chevrolet Spark, not the average

The figures here describe Chevrolet Spark cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Chevrolet Spark problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Chevrolet Spark have more steering problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.8 times the steering fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 12 years (all test years), from 14,596 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 3 of the 7 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Chevrolet Spark steering problems?

1.8 in 100 MOT tests at 12 years failed on steering, against 2.8 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 14,596 MOT tests).

What is the most common Chevrolet Spark steering fail?

1.0 in 100 MOT tests at 12 years: Steering track rod end: ball joint play (145 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 59,796 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare