MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Does the Mercedes-Benz 420 fail the MOT on body, chassis and structure more than it should?

The Mercedes-Benz 420 records 6.14 body, chassis and structure failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 15.00 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−8.86, 95% interval −10.17 to −7.54). It ranks 609 of 663 models on body, chassis and structure (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on body, chassis and structure · check a Mercedes-Benz 420 by registration

What exactly fails on body, chassis and structure?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz 420 is “Exhaust system leaking or insecure”, recorded 45 times in 2019–2024.

Mercedes-Benz 420: most frequent body, chassis and structure defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wordingItemsPer 100 tests
Exhaust system leaking or insecure451.36
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced441.33

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,320 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Other pages for this model

Mercedes-Benz 420 by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz 420 brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 steering failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz 420 visibility failures