mine failed last mot on steering components,
with the car turned off, sit in the car and have the wheels pointing straight. get out the car and try slowly to turn the wheels left or right. if there is a lot of play/free movement before the wheels move then it is worth getting the rack and the column checked out..
The column cost me £70 for a reconditioned one back home in lincolnshire, then there is the fiting on top of that... the rack cost me quiet a bit more totaled about 350 after fitting costs.
could be balljoints which arent that expensive...