Wear in a suspension or steering joint
Last reviewed 22 October 2026. General information, not advice about a particular car.
Fix soon Will get worse and may fail the next MOT. Budget for it in the next few months.
A joint or rubber bush has slight play or wear. It can cause knocking noises, vague steering and uneven tyre wear, and it becomes a fail once the movement is "excessive". Not an emergency but worth fixing before the next test.
What the wording on the certificate means
You’ll usually see something like “Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement” or “ball joint has slight play”, often with a position such as “nearside front” (the passenger side) and a reference to the MOT inspection manual in brackets.
A rubber bush or ball joint in the suspension or steering has started to wear, so there’s a little movement where there shouldn’t be.
Why it matters
Worn bushes and joints make the car clonk over bumps, feel vague in the steering and wear its tyres unevenly. As the play grows, the car handles less predictably.
What to do
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps, and notice whether the steering feels loose.
- On many cars it’s simpler to replace the whole suspension arm, which comes with new bushes and a new ball joint.
- Have the wheel alignment checked after the work.
Will it fail the next MOT?
An advisory isn’t a fail, and the car can be driven, as long as it stays roadworthy. Excessive movement in a suspension or steering joint is a major fail.
If you’re buying a car with this advisory
Uneven wear on the front tyres plus this advisory suggests the suspension needs work soon. If the same advisory shows up at test after test, it has probably been left unrepaired.
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