MOT Risk Index

Which Mercedes-Benz models fail their MOT less for their age?

Mercedes-Benz models fail their MOT less often than other cars of the same age.

23.5%of MOTs on the 43 Mercedes-Benz models we cover failed at the first attempt in 2024

Average for cars of the same age: 26.7%

Of Mercedes-Benz models with 10,000 or more tests, the Mercedes-Benz SL fails least for its age.

Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 1,660,406 tests

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In 2024, 80.3% of MOTs on the 43 Mercedes-Benz models published here passed (76.5% first time, 3.8% after a fix at the test centre), from 1,660,406 first tests. Allowing for age (not mileage), these Mercedes-Benz models fail 12% less often than normal: brand MOT Risk Index 87.9 (95% CI 87.7–88.2; 100 = normal). Among Mercedes-Benz models with at least 10,000 first tests, the Mercedes-Benz SL has the lowest index (47.6) and the Mercedes-Benz Citan (van) the highest (181.7). On raw pass rates, the Mercedes-Benz GLE comes first instead, because the models' fleets differ in age.

Which Mercedes-Benz models fail least and most for their age?

Of the 43 Mercedes-Benz models, 33 fail less often than normal for their age, 5 more often, and 5 cannot be told apart from normal because their 95% intervals include 100.

Mercedes-Benz models by MOT Risk Index, lowest first (2024)
ModelTypeMOT pass rate, %Passed first time, %MOT Risk Index95% intervalFirst tests
Mercedes-Benz GTcar94.093.333.427.4–40.71,349
Mercedes-Benz EQEcar97.297.136.425.1–52.5934
Mercedes-Benz SLcar85.582.947.646.2–49.021,309
Mercedes-Benz CLcar80.877.954.851.2–58.53,060
Mercedes-Benz S-Classcar85.282.359.457.9–61.025,541
Mercedes-Benz 420car82.679.359.650.6–69.6579
Mercedes-Benz Gcar92.391.160.451.4–70.81,523
Mercedes-Benz GLcar83.479.261.557.7–65.53,626
Mercedes-Benz 300car80.976.766.762.4–71.32,791
Mercedes-Benz G-Classcar85.482.967.259.8–75.31,396
Mercedes-Benz Scar92.791.768.058.2–79.31,752
Mercedes-Benz MLcar77.973.070.661.7–80.4593
Mercedes-Benz SLCcar87.986.370.967.3–74.68,972
Mercedes-Benz GLEcar89.087.372.470.3–74.530,531
Mercedes-Benz Bcar91.289.074.762.9–88.41,065
Mercedes-Benz SLKcar75.571.875.274.2–76.256,594
Mercedes-Benz GLBcar92.290.675.370.0–81.06,885
Mercedes-Benz GLCcar88.887.175.674.2–77.078,203
Mercedes-Benz M-Classcar76.871.477.175.8–78.431,973
Mercedes-Benz 320car74.769.477.367.4–87.9493
Mercedes-Benz GLScar88.286.478.171.0–85.72,759
Mercedes-Benz R-Classcar74.868.378.773.8–83.82,065
Mercedes-Benz 190car77.272.679.074.1–84.02,562
Mercedes-Benz E-Classcar79.877.080.780.1–81.3229,181
Mercedes-Benz GLAcar87.484.981.380.0–82.687,343
Mercedes-Benz CLScar76.973.782.580.7–84.223,802
Mercedes-Benz Sprintervan77.572.487.185.2–89.021,107
Mercedes-Benz C-Classcar78.074.187.486.9–87.9365,590
Mercedes-Benz 220car75.670.088.779.5–98.5778
Mercedes-Benz CLKcar68.162.290.088.7–91.428,446
Mercedes-Benz Vianocar71.565.391.488.1–94.85,332
Mercedes-Benz B-Classcar77.072.491.890.7–92.971,436
Mercedes-Benz A-Classcar82.178.294.293.6–94.8331,452
Mercedes-Benz Vcar86.984.298.989.8–108.72,250
Mercedes-Benz EQAcar89.887.999.091.9–106.65,109
Mercedes-Benz V-Classcar83.180.299.996.1–103.810,642
Mercedes-Benz CLAcar83.880.7100.699.0–102.263,888
Mercedes-Benz CLCcar62.556.1106.3103.7–108.88,510
Mercedes-Benz Vitovan73.566.6117.7116.6–118.886,846
Mercedes-Benz EQVcar87.386.3118.399.9–139.6858
Mercedes-Benz X-Classpickup82.979.4130.3122.1–138.83,594
Mercedes-Benz EQCcar85.383.5131.1124.5–138.17,205
Mercedes-Benz Citanvan70.860.8181.7178.6–184.820,482

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2024 · n = 1,660,406 (initial tests) · Method: MOT Risk Index = observed first-time failures ÷ failures expected for the same age profile × 100; brand index sums both over the 43 models · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

dot · Mercedes-Benz · MOT Risk Index · 87.9 vs 100 = normal · 2024
Published Mercedes-Benz models: age-adjusted first-time MOT failure, with 95% intervals. Cars and commercial vehicles are identified in the table; 100 = normal for age. Mercedes-Benz 87.9. Mercedes-Benz SL: 47.6; Mercedes-Benz GLE: 72.4; Mercedes-Benz SLK: 75.2; Mercedes-Benz GLC: 75.6; Mercedes-Benz M-Class: 77.1; Mercedes-Benz E-Class: 80.7; Mercedes-Benz GLA: 81.3; Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 87.4; Mercedes-Benz CLK: 90.0; Mercedes-Benz B-Class: 91.8; Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 94.2; Mercedes-Benz CLA: 100.6; Mercedes-Benz Vito: 117.7; Mercedes-Benz Citan: 181.7. Axis from 40 to 190.

Where are Mercedes-Benz models worse than other cars of the same age?

Allowing for age, Mercedes-Benz models fail on tyres more than other cars of the same age: 9.5 failures per 100 tests against 8.3 expected (1.2 more; 95% interval 1.19 to 1.23).

Mercedes-Benz: failures per 100 tests by group against the same-age expectation (2019–2024)
Failure groupMercedes-Benz, per 100 testsExpected for the same ageDifference95% intervalMost common failure on (models)
Tyres9.58.3+1.21.19 to 1.2319 of 43
Road Wheels0.70.4+0.30.33 to 0.340 of 43
Identification of the vehicle0.50.4+0.20.16 to 0.170 of 43
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1.11.1-0.0-0.02 to -0.000 of 43
Noise, emissions and leaks2.63.2-0.7-0.67 to -0.640 of 43
Brakes9.810.6-0.8-0.83 to -0.792 of 43
Visibility6.67.9-1.3-1.34 to -1.300 of 43
Steering1.12.6-1.5-1.46 to -1.450 of 43
Suspension11.513.1-1.5-1.54 to -1.5010 of 43
Body, chassis, structure2.55.1-2.6-2.63 to -2.610 of 43
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10.015.7-5.6-5.67 to -5.6312 of 43

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,487,175 (initial tests of the 43 models) · Method: failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for the same age and kind of vehicle; interval from the count of failures (Poisson); a group is named only when its interval is wholly above zero and it is at least 5% above the expected rate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Mercedes-Benz MOT statistics by model 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/brand/mercedes-benz/

How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.

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