It means the tester found a small amount of free movement in the steering that has not yet failed, so the car passed. Excessive play becomes a major or dangerous failure and should be repaired promptly.
Last reviewed: June 2026
What play in the steering rack means
Steering should feel direct, with the wheels responding promptly as the wheel is turned. When an MOT certificate records play in the steering rack as an advisory, the tester has found a small amount of free movement, sometimes called lash, in the steering system before that response begins. The vehicle has passed, but the note signals that wear is developing and the steering is no longer as tight as it should be.
- Steering play is free movement or lash in the steering before the wheels respond; a small amount may be recorded as an advisory.
- DVSA assesses steering against the MOT inspection manual, which sets out advisory, major and dangerous thresholds.
- Excessive play in the steering rack or its joints is a major or dangerous defect and an MOT failure.
- The dangerous, major, minor and advisory defect categories were introduced in May 2018.
- Driving without a valid MOT can bring a fine of up to £1,000 under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The steering rack is the central component that converts the rotation of the steering wheel into the side-to-side movement that turns the front wheels. Inside it, a toothed bar called the rack meshes with a pinion gear. Over time, the rack, the pinion, the internal bushings and the joints that connect everything can wear, allowing a small gap to open up. That gap is the play. A minor amount may be acceptable and logged as an advisory; movement beyond the limits set in the inspection manual is a failure.
Why a small amount is an advisory and excessive play is a failure
The MOT inspection manual draws a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable steering play. A limited amount of free movement, where the steering still responds reliably and no component is loose or insecure, may be recorded as an advisory. This recognises that some wear is normal in an older car and does not on its own make the vehicle unsafe to drive in the short term, while still putting the owner on notice that the system is wearing.
Excessive play is treated as a serious defect. When the free movement is beyond the permitted limit, or when a steering joint, the rack mounting or an internal component is worn or insecure, the tester records a major defect, which is a fail. Where the wear is severe enough that the steering could become unreliable or a component could detach, it is classed as a dangerous defect and the vehicle should not be driven until it is repaired. The difference is essentially one of degree and of whether anything is loose, as the table below shows.
| Steering condition | MOT category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Slight free movement, steering still responds | Advisory | Pass, monitor before next test |
| Play beyond the permitted limit | Major | Fail, repair required |
| Worn or insecure steering joint or mounting | Major | Fail, repair required |
| Steering liable to become unreliable or detach | Dangerous | Fail, do not drive |
The safety implications for steering response
Play in the steering matters because it affects how precisely a driver can control the car. With free movement in the system, a turn of the wheel is not immediately translated into a change of direction; there is a small delay or vagueness before the wheels respond. At low speed this may be barely noticeable, but at higher speeds, on motorways or when making a quick correction, even a small amount of imprecision can make the car harder to place accurately and feel unsettled.
As play increases, the risks grow. Worn joints can knock or click, the steering can wander, and in the worst case a badly worn or insecure component could fail, causing a loss of steering control. This is why the inspection manual treats excessive play and insecure components so seriously. An advisory is the early stage of this progression, which is why it is worth acting on rather than ignoring, even though the car has passed.
How testers check for steering play
Testers assess steering play in a structured way. With the vehicle on the test ramp, the tester rocks the steering wheel gently from side to side and watches how much movement occurs at the wheel before the road wheels start to turn. This reveals lash in the rack and pinion. The vehicle may also be placed on a turning plate or have the front wheels moved while the tester observes and feels the steering joints, track rod ends and rack mountings for free movement, looseness or wear.
Power-assisted steering systems are checked with the engine running where appropriate, and the tester inspects for leaks, damaged gaiters and security of the rack to the body. The combination of rocking the wheel and physically checking the joints allows the tester to locate where any play is coming from and to judge it against the limits in the inspection manual. Because the checks are partly a matter of feel and judgement, the same wear can sit close to the boundary between an advisory and a failure.
What repair usually involves
The right repair depends on where the play originates. Sometimes the cause is a worn track rod end or inner joint rather than the rack itself, and replacing that joint restores tight steering at modest cost. Where the wear is inside the rack, between the rack bar and pinion or in the internal bushings, the usual remedy is to replace or, in some cases, recondition the steering rack. Mountings that have worked loose may simply need securing, while perished gaiters that have let dirt into the rack are replaced to prevent further wear.
Steering is a safety-critical system, so any work should be carried out by a competent mechanic, and the wheel alignment is normally checked and reset after steering components are replaced. Addressing the cause while it is still only an advisory is generally simpler and cheaper than waiting until the play has grown into a failure, by which point more components may be worn and the car may not be safe to drive.
Costs vary widely depending on the cause. Replacing a single track rod end is among the cheaper steering repairs, whereas a full steering rack replacement is more involved and more expensive, particularly on cars with electric power steering integrated into the rack. Because the advisory is logged on the vehicle MOT history that anyone can view online, keeping a record of when the play was first noted and what was done about it helps demonstrate that the steering has been maintained, which matters both for safety and when selling the car.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'play in steering rack' mean on an MOT?
It means the tester found free movement, or lash, in the steering before the wheels respond. As an advisory it is a small amount that has not failed, so the car passed, but it signals that the rack or its joints are wearing and the steering is no longer fully tight.
Is steering rack play an MOT failure?
Not always. A small amount of play where the steering still responds and nothing is loose can be an advisory, which is a pass. Play beyond the limit in the inspection manual, or a worn or insecure joint or mounting, is recorded as a major or dangerous defect and fails the test.
Is it safe to drive with steering rack play?
With only an advisory level of play the car has passed and remains legal to drive, but the wear should be monitored and addressed before it worsens. Excessive play can make the steering vague or unreliable, so any growth in free movement, knocking or wandering should be checked promptly by a mechanic.
How do MOT testers check for steering play?
The tester rocks the steering wheel from side to side and watches how much movement occurs before the road wheels turn, revealing lash in the rack. They also move the front wheels while checking the rack mountings, track rod ends and joints by hand for looseness, wear or insecurity against the inspection manual limits.
What does fixing steering rack play involve?
It depends on the source of the play. A worn track rod end or joint can be replaced individually, while wear inside the rack usually means replacing or reconditioning the steering rack. Loose mountings are secured and damaged gaiters renewed. The work should be done by a competent mechanic, with alignment checked afterwards.
