MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Mercedes A Class — MOT statistics 2024

All Mercedes A Class variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 585,107 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index 91.3, 95% CI 90.8–91.8 (100 = national average) 100 91.3 60 160
Index
91.3
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
18.83%
n = 585,107
Dangerous /100
12
national ≈13
Diesel − petrol
+3.8 pp
fail-rate gap
Rank
10 of 25
lower index = better

This car fails its MOT about 9% less often than expected for its age.

Age-adjusted peer: Ford Kuga (index 91.3)— the two published results are 0.0 index points apart.

What actually fails

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Family vs national defect rates across 6 component groups This family National avg Suspension 12.7 Visibility 11.1 Tyres 11.0 Lamps & electrical 8.8 Brakes 8.0 Body & structure 2.9

family vs national — top component groups, per 100 tests

Component-group comparison table
GroupThis familyNational
Suspension12.719.9
Visibility11.112.0
Tyres11.010.3
Lamps & electrical8.823.5
Brakes8.014.3
Body & structure2.98.4
What failedper 100nationalratioCheck
Suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated4.863.451.41×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Tyre seriously damaged3.993.291.21×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Wiper blade defective2.592.041.27×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer…2.472.251.10×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Windscreen washers not working or not providing…2.142.031.05×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm2.522.451.03×Feel for brake judder and pulling on the test drive
Tyre cords visible or damaged2.062.001.03×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…3.863.821.01×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously…4.284.271.00×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
Spring or spring component fractured or seriously…2.712.721.00×Ask the seller about: A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres 88.2 Brakes 63.3 Suspension 12.6 Non-component advisories 10.4 Identification 2.9 Road Wheels 2.2
Advisory rates table
Groupper 100
Tyres88.2
Brakes63.3
Suspension12.6
Non-component advisories10.4
Identification2.9
Road Wheels2.2

How it ages

3579111315171949%car age, years

Takeaway: a 10-year-old A Class has roughly a 25% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 18 it stays above the national age curve.

Data table
AgeMercedes A ClassAll cars
38.3%10.9%
49.2%11.6%
511.8%13.5%
614.2%15.6%
717.3%18.2%
819.3%21.3%
922.9%24.4%
1024.7%27.7%
1125.0%30.6%
1231.2%33.4%
1333.9%36.0%
1436.4%38.6%
1539.0%39.9%
1640.6%41.5%
1741.0%41.5%
1843.1%42.4%
1942.5%42.2%
2045.5%37.5%

How severe are the defects?

Defect severity per 100 tests: Minor 16.9, Major 32.2, Dangerous 11.8 16.932.211.8 Minor 16.9 Major 32.2 Dangerous 11.8

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 24.4 · Major 63.3 · Dangerous 12.9 per 100.

Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100
Minor16.9324.38
Major32.1863.26
Dangerous11.7812.89

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 2.7 percentage points — booking month barely matters for this family. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

19.09% in month 1 J18.77% in month 2 F17.45% in month 3 M18.69% in month 4 A18.56% in month 5 M18.44% in month 6 J18.42% in month 7 J18.52% in month 8 A18.64% in month 9 S19.99% in month 10 O20.19% in month 11 N19.53% in month 12 D 29% 16%

bars: Mercedes A Class · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthMercedes A ClassAll cars
Jan19.09%27.37%
Feb18.77%26.14%
Mar17.45%24.75%
Apr18.69%26.01%
May18.56%25.01%
Jun18.44%25.01%
Jul18.42%26.04%
Aug18.52%25.79%
Sep18.64%25.19%
Oct19.99%27.13%
Nov20.19%27.2%
Dec19.53%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 8-year-old A Class has ~65,125 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

369121518car age, years 118k mi 0

Does high mileage actually mean more failures?

Same age band (6–14 years), split by odometer — this separates wear from age: 12% of the lowest-mileage cars failed versus 32.3% of the highest.

<40k mi 12% 40-70k mi 18% 70-100k mi 24.5% 100-140k mi 29.8% 140k+ mi 32.3%
Odometer% failingTests
<40k miles12%58,718
40-70k miles18%150,636
70-100k miles24.5%96,676
100-140k miles29.8%39,001
140k+ miles32.3%7,507

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
317,20923,90732,37634,948
421,53429,78140,24055,400
528,21438,04850,06596,700
634,76845,66558,64273,129
742,73555,41470,26570,983
850,76065,12581,55466,894
958,09673,78592,58947,590
1065,80583,252103,04142,307
1167,97688,894111,74728,113
1249,62669,05392,7087,611
1350,64569,28790,6877,439
1453,34874,80598,0938,768
1559,83880,743103,2999,588
1664,89385,542108,4689,379
1766,28988,154110,6038,574
1868,47488,973112,2886,433
1964,02584,679105,9084,222
20+61,47680,201100,3416,865

Regional variation (raw rates)

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Salisbury (SP): 28.6% failing, 2,001 testsTorquay (TQ): 27.9% failing, 1,394 testsCanterbury (CT): 27.4% failing, 3,552 testsBournemouth (BH): 26.9% failing, 4,678 testsDorchester (DT): 24.8% failing, 1,620 testsBristol (BS): 24.6% failing, 9,045 testsTruro (TR): 24.3% failing, 1,792 testsBath (BA): 24.2% failing, 3,155 testsCardiff (CF): 23.8% failing, 12,810 testsPortsmouth (PO): 23.5% failing, 6,122 testsColchester (CO): 23.1% failing, 3,465 testsGuildford (GU): 22.9% failing, 4,987 testsGloucester (GL): 22.9% failing, 4,834 testsIpswich (IP): 22.8% failing, 5,182 testsBrighton (BN): 22.6% failing, 6,539 testsExeter (EX): 22.5% failing, 4,263 testsPlymouth (PL): 22.5% failing, 4,421 testsSt Albans (AL): 22.4% failing, 1,823 testsLondon W (W): 22.4% failing, 1,876 testsHuddersfield (HD): 22.3% failing, 2,805 testsTaunton (TA): 22% failing, 2,112 testsNorwich (NR): 21.9% failing, 5,756 testsWatford (WD): 21.9% failing, 2,463 testsDundee (DD): 21.6% failing, 2,557 testsCambridge (CB): 21.4% failing, 3,179 testsNorthampton (NN): 21.3% failing, 6,778 testsWorcester (WR): 21.3% failing, 2,553 testsLondon SE (SE): 21.2% failing, 5,717 testsKirkcaldy (KY): 21.2% failing, 3,002 testsNottingham (NG): 20.9% failing, 10,535 testsAberdeen (AB): 20.9% failing, 5,482 testsChester (CH): 20.8% failing, 5,930 testsSouthampton (SO): 20.5% failing, 5,071 testsBlackpool (FY): 20.4% failing, 2,543 testsSwansea (SA): 20.4% failing, 7,715 testsNewport (NP): 20.3% failing, 4,970 testsSwindon (SN): 20.3% failing, 3,867 testsRedhill (RH): 20.2% failing, 4,326 testsCrewe (CW): 20.2% failing, 3,331 testsLondon SW (SW): 20.2% failing, 2,583 testsCroydon (CR): 20.1% failing, 4,134 testsMedway (ME): 19.9% failing, 6,799 testsEdinburgh (EH): 19.7% failing, 7,746 testsInverness (IV): 19.7% failing, 2,005 testsDarlington (DL): 19.6% failing, 2,798 testsLondon N (N): 19.6% failing, 4,470 testsWalsall (WS): 19.5% failing, 4,722 testsStevenage (SG): 19.4% failing, 3,935 testsSutton (SM): 19.4% failing, 1,093 testsYork (YO): 19.3% failing, 4,966 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 19.3% failing, 6,628 testsHull (HU): 19.3% failing, 5,800 testsDartford (DA): 19.2% failing, 4,559 testsLiverpool (L): 19% failing, 6,331 testsPaisley (PA): 18.9% failing, 2,448 testsTonbridge (TN): 18.8% failing, 6,485 testsTelford (TF): 18.7% failing, 1,881 testsHalifax (HX): 18.6% failing, 1,170 testsChelmsford (CM): 18.6% failing, 7,704 testsBromley (BR): 18.5% failing, 1,855 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 18.4% failing, 6,421 testsOxford (OX): 18.3% failing, 6,415 testsStockport (SK): 18.2% failing, 6,755 testsBradford (BD): 18.1% failing, 5,703 testsKilmarnock (KA): 18.1% failing, 4,494 testsWigan (WN): 18% failing, 3,354 testsWarrington (WA): 18% failing, 6,629 testsLeicester (LE): 18% failing, 9,417 testsHarrow (HA): 18% failing, 4,296 testsCoventry (CV): 18% failing, 7,513 testsDerby (DE): 18% failing, 7,865 testsReading (RG): 17.9% failing, 8,254 testsSouthend-on-Sea (SS): 17.7% failing, 5,675 testsWolverhampton (WV): 17.6% failing, 5,013 testsLancaster (LA): 17.6% failing, 1,888 testsManchester (M): 17.6% failing, 12,721 testsOldham (OL): 17.4% failing, 5,018 testsSlough (SL): 17.4% failing, 4,861 testsSunderland (SR): 17.4% failing, 2,725 testsBirmingham (B): 17.4% failing, 19,322 testsNewcastle (NE): 17.3% failing, 9,623 testsLuton (LU): 17.2% failing, 4,206 testsCleveland (TS): 17.2% failing, 7,320 testsLlandudno (LL): 17% failing, 5,370 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 16.9% failing, 4,718 testsTwickenham (TW): 16.9% failing, 5,658 testsHereford (HR): 16.7% failing, 1,121 testsLeeds (LS): 16.6% failing, 7,272 testsEnfield (EN): 16.5% failing, 4,869 testsLondon E (E): 16.5% failing, 5,798 testsLondon NW (NW): 16.4% failing, 6,478 testsPeterborough (PE): 16.3% failing, 10,838 testsPreston (PR): 16.3% failing, 5,787 testsWakefield (WF): 16.2% failing, 6,238 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 16.1% failing, 6,794 testsLincoln (LN): 16% failing, 3,428 testsGalashiels (TD): 16% failing, 899 testsDurham (DH): 15.9% failing, 2,658 testsDudley (DY): 15.9% failing, 4,341 testsRomford (RM): 15.8% failing, 5,547 testsDumfries (DG): 15.7% failing, 967 testsFalkirk (FK): 15.7% failing, 3,073 testsIlford (IG): 15.7% failing, 3,948 testsUxbridge (UB): 15.6% failing, 5,699 testsHarrogate (HG): 15.6% failing, 1,708 testsSheffield (S): 15.4% failing, 14,558 testsDoncaster (DN): 15.4% failing, 8,874 testsBolton (BL): 15.3% failing, 8,051 testsGlasgow (G): 15.3% failing, 13,142 testsMotherwell (ML): 14.8% failing, 4,001 testsShrewsbury (SY): 14.8% failing, 2,696 testsPerth (PH): 13.8% failing, 1,320 testsCarlisle (CA): 13.7% failing, 2,940 testsBlackburn (BB): 13.6% failing, 5,850 tests % failing 15% 25%
Toughest areas% failing
Salisbury (SP)28.64%
Canterbury (CT)27.42%
Bournemouth (BH)26.87%
Bristol (BS)24.6%
Bath (BA)24.22%
Easiest areas% failing
Blackburn (BB)13.59%
Carlisle (CA)13.67%
Motherwell (ML)14.8%
Shrewsbury (SY)14.8%
Bolton (BL)15.3%

Quick answers

Is a 10-year-old A Class a bad buy?
A 10-year-old A Class has roughly a 25% chance of failing its MOT. Across 585,107 initial tests in 2024 the family fails its MOT about 9% less often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 91.3, where 100 = normal for its age). For a similarly sized published sample, compare Toyota Yaris MOT stats: 629,646 tests and index 95.6.
What usually fails on a A Class MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated; windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view; a tyre seriously damaged.
What mileage is normal for a A Class?
For a typical 8-year-old A Class, the median is about 65,125 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 50,760 and 81,554.
How often are dangerous faults found?
About 12 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial Mercedes A Class tests in 2024 (national average ≈13) — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Same brand

All Mercedes-Benz MOT statisticsMercedes C Class MOT stats

Similar risk

Ford Kuga (index 91.3)Toyota Yaris (index 95.6)MINI Hatch (index 85.5)

Same size class

how Toyota Yaris compareshow Mercedes C Class compareshow Audi A3 compares

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Mercedes A Class MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/mercedes-a-class/ · Published 2026-07-30.