What does 2.1.1 mean on an MOT certificate?

It refers to sub-section 2.1.1 of the MOT inspection manual, "Steering gear condition", within section 2, steering. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 9 listed here. 3 of them are graded Dangerous, 5 Major and 1 Minor.

Which steering gear condition defect is recorded most often?

"Excessive roughness in operation of steering" (2.1.1 (a)), recorded about 0.0 times per 100 failed MOT tests nationally.

Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?

No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.

Section 2 · Steering

2.1.1 Steering gear condition

Manual indexed 3 September 2026

Quick answer

Sub-section 2.1.1 of the MOT inspection manual covers steering gear condition and lists 9 defects, 3 of them Dangerous. A reference like "(2.1.1 (a))" on a certificate points to the matching row below. The most recorded is "Excessive roughness in operation of steering", about 0.0 times per 100 failed tests.

Official wording

The defect clauses

2.1.1 (a)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails
Excessive roughness in operation of steering
2.1.1 (b)(i)Major
Sector shaft twisted or splines excessively worn
2.1.1 (b)(ii)Dangerous
Sector shaft twisted or splines worn to the extent that functionality is affected
2.1.1 (c)(i)Major
Sector shaft excessively worn
2.1.1 (c)(ii)Dangerous
Sector shaft worn to the extent that functionality is affected
2.1.1 (d)(i)Major
Sector shaft has excessive movement
2.1.1 (d)(ii)Dangerous
Sector shaft movement so excessive that functionality is affected
2.1.1 (e)(i)Minor
Steering box leaking oil
2.1.1 (e)(ii)Major
Steering box leaking to the extent that oil is dripping

Wording and categories reproduced from the DVSA inspection manual under the Open Government Licence. Frequencies are items per 100 failed class 4 tests across the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset; a clause with no figure was not recorded often enough to appear in any model’s top forty failure items. 0 of 9 clauses link to our own explanation.

Grading

What the categories mean

Dangerous: a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The vehicle fails and must not be driven until repaired, even to a garage.
Major: a defect that affects safety, the environment or other road users. The vehicle fails.
Minor: a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes.

The full guide to defect grading

Section 2

Other sub-sections of steering

2.1.2Steering gear security
2.1.3Steering linkage condition
2.1.4Steering linkage operation
2.1.5Power steering
2.2.1Steering wheel or handlebar condition
2.2.2Steering column or forks and yokes
2.3Steering play
2.6Electronic power steering (EPS)

All sections of the manual

Common questions

What does 2.1.1 mean on an MOT certificate?: It refers to sub-section 2.1.1 of the MOT inspection manual, "Steering gear condition", within section 2, steering. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 9 listed here. 3 of them are graded Dangerous, 5 Major and 1 Minor.
Which steering gear condition defect is recorded most often?: "Excessive roughness in operation of steering" (2.1.1 (a)), recorded about 0.0 times per 100 failed MOT tests nationally.
Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?: No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.