Great Wall Steed MOT pass rate & common failures
4,396 MOT tests on the Great Wall Steed (2010–2018) give it a 75.1% pass rate. Pick-up trucks of a similar age fail 19.3% of the time, so this is 5.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (15.4%) and brakes (12.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rigid brake pipes, ball joint and headlamp aim — rigid brake pipes alone was recorded 449 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.5% versus 16.5%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 37.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 23.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Steed model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 48 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 460 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 1,042 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 1,664 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 1,011 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 148 | 76.3% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 15.4% | 678 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.8% | 565 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.2% | 450 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.1% | 311 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.8% | 299 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 191 |
| 7 | Tyres | 2.9% | 129 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.1% | 50 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigid brake pipes | 449 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 339 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 310 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 259 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 218 |
| 6 | Washers | 178 |
| 7 | Wipers | 178 |
| 8 | Shackle pins and bushes | 164 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 37.7% | 1,658 |
| 2 | Suspension | 31.3% | 1,375 |
| 3 | Tyres | 18.0% | 790 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.2% | 536 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 10.6% | 466 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 7.3% | 321 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 363 | 16.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,693 | 23.0% |
| 60-90k | 1,554 | 26.5% |
| 90-120k | 576 | 29.2% |
| 120-150k | 154 | 31.8% |
| 150k+ | 51 | 27.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,017 | 23.7% |
| 2022 | 963 | 23.4% |
| 2023 | 893 | 23.8% |
| 2024 | 813 | 27.4% |
| 2025 | 710 | 27.0% |
What to check before buying a Great Wall Steed
- Lighting & signalling (15.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (12.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (10.2% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Great Wall Steed?
75.1% of the 4,396 Great Wall Steed MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.9% fail rate, across model years 2010–2018.
What does the Great Wall Steed most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 15.4% of tests, then brakes (12.8%).
How much does mileage affect Steed MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.5% for 150k+, a 10.9-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,396 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.