The MOT Files

MOT defect file

Steering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing

Last updated

Quick answer

The rubber boot sealing the end of the steering rack has split. On its own it is a cheap part, but once grit and water are inside the rack the damage is permanent, so this is a failure worth acting on quickly.

Typical cost
£80–£200
DIY viability
Possible with care
Steering rack gaiter split open to grit and waterA steering rack bar runs horizontally from the rack housing to the track rod beneath a concertina rubber gaiter. Clips secure both ends. One fold of the gaiter is split completely through, exposing the polished rack and its lubricant. Arrows show grit and water entering through the split, where they can damage the rack and inner joint. An insecure or damaged steering gaiter fails the MOT when it no longer prevents dirt entering.Steering rackGaiterRetaining clipSplit — grit and water enterRack gaiter shown in elevation
A steering rack gaiter fails where it is insecure or damaged enough to let dirt enter the steering gear. The split is exaggerated so the route for grit and water can be seen clearly.

What you might notice

  • A concertina rubber boot at the end of the rack that is visibly split, hanging loose or completely absent
  • Grease or hydraulic fluid smeared around the inner end of the track rod, thrown out through the tear
  • A gritty or notchy feel through the steering as it passes the straight-ahead position, once contamination has got in
  • Usually no driving symptom at all, which is the point — the gaiter is a preventive part, and by the time you can feel anything the rack itself is the problem

What causes it

  • Age and ozone hardening the rubber until it cracks at the folds, which is simply what a decade of heat cycling does
  • Road debris or a stone thrown up into the boot, or damage from a jack or a ramp arm placed wrongly
  • A gaiter refitted without its clip after previous steering work, so it works its way off the rack tube
  • Contamination from an oil or power steering leak above it, softening the rubber until it tears

Advisory or failure?

The distinction here is about function, not appearance. A steering rack gaiter that is deteriorating — perishing, surface cracking — but still keeping contamination out is a minor defect, and early deterioration is often recorded as an advisory. A gaiter that is split, torn, insecure or missing so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt and water is a major defect and a failure, because the rack and its inner joint are being contaminated every mile the car is driven. It is graded dangerous where the condition is such that steering control could be lost. Worth knowing: the tester is judging whether the seal still works, so a small split at the very end of the concertina can fail the car while extensive surface crazing may not.

Can you fix it yourself?

Possible with care

The part is a few pounds and the principle is simple, but almost every car requires the track rod end to come off to slide the new gaiter down the rod, which turns it into a track rod end job with an alignment on the end of it. Measure the joint's position before you undo it, use a proper splitter on the taper, and fit new clips at both ends rather than reusing stretched ones. Clean the exposed rack tube and inspect it before sealing it back up — if there is already pitting or rust on the tube, a new gaiter will not save the rack and you have found a bigger problem. Some split-and-glue gaiters are sold to avoid dismantling; they are a compromise and a tester may well take a dim view of one that is not sealing properly.

What it costs

The gaiter is £8 to £25 in parts. Nearly all of the bill is the labour to break the track rod end taper and slide it on, roughly an hour, plus the four-wheel alignment at £40 to £70 that has to follow. That puts a single gaiter at £80 to £140 fitted, and both sides at £140 to £200 since the alignment is shared. You reach the top of the band where the track rod end is seized and has to be replaced anyway, or where the tester or garage finds the rack already contaminated — in which case the gaiter stops being the job and a rack replacement is the real quote.

What happens if you ignore it

This is the cheapest part in the steering system protecting one of the most expensive components in it. Once grit and water are inside, they score the machined rack tube, wear the inner ball joint and wash the grease out, and none of that reverses when the gaiter is finally replaced. A £15 rubber boot ignored for a year is what turns into a £600 rack. The rack will also begin to knock and develop the free play measured at the steering wheel, which is a failure of its own on the next test.

Common questions

Is a split steering rack gaiter an MOT failure?
Yes. A gaiter that is split, torn, insecure or missing so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt and water is a major defect, because the rack and its inner joint are being contaminated every mile the car is driven. It is graded dangerous where the condition is such that steering control could be lost.
What is the difference between a perished rack gaiter and a split one?
The tester is judging whether the seal still works, not how it looks. A gaiter that is perishing or surface cracking while still keeping contamination out is a minor defect, and early deterioration is often recorded as an advisory. A small split at the very end of the concertina fails the car, while extensive surface crazing may not.
Why does a cheap rubber gaiter matter so much?
Because it is the cheapest part in the steering system protecting one of the most expensive components in it. Once grit and water are inside they score the machined rack tube, wear the inner ball joint and wash out the grease, and none of that reverses when the gaiter is finally replaced. A £15 boot ignored for a year is what turns into a £600 rack.
Can I fit a steering rack gaiter myself?
The part is a few pounds, but almost every car needs the track rod end removed to slide the new gaiter down the rod, which makes it a track rod end job with an alignment on the end of it. Fit new clips at both ends, and inspect the exposed rack tube first: pitting or rust there means a new gaiter will not save the rack.
How much does it cost to replace a steering rack gaiter?
A single gaiter fitted is £80 to £140, and both sides £140 to £200 because the alignment is shared. The gaiter itself is only £8 to £25; the rest is roughly an hour of labour to break the track rod end taper plus the four-wheel alignment at £40 to £70 that has to follow.

Cars this happens to most

Of every model with at least 2,000 tests in the DVSA data, these record steering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing on the largest share of their MOTs. Across all of them the typical rate is 1.4% of tests.

  1. Vauxhall Adam11%

    6,296 times in 58,761 tests

  2. Fiat 500X9.0%

    3,295 times in 36,470 tests

  3. Jaguar S-Type8.3%

    780 times in 9,411 tests

  4. Jeep Renegade8.1%

    2,352 times in 29,154 tests

  5. Seat Exeo6.5%

    279 times in 4,292 tests

  6. Vauxhall Corsa5.4%

    48,355 times in 897,378 tests

  7. Nissan Figaro4.9%

    113 times in 2,319 tests

  8. Hyundai Coupe4.8%

    233 times in 4,861 tests

A high rate here is a property of the fleet as much as the car: these models skew old, and almost everything fails more with age. It is a reason to check the item on a used example, not proof the model is badly built. Models with fewer than 2,000 tests are left out because a rate drawn from a few hundred cars moves too much to rank.

Pass rates for every make and model

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. The severity DVSA records depends on the specific fault found, so the same item can appear as an advisory on one test and a failure on another. Ask a qualified tester or mechanic to inspect the vehicle.

Has this been recorded on your car?

Check the full MOT history for any UK registration.

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