Does the Mercedes-Benz E-Class fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class records 0.60 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.91 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.31, 95% interval −0.33 to −0.30). It ranks 413 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Mercedes-Benz E-Class by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is “An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction”, recorded 4,419 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 4,419 | 0.34 |
| Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended | 1,209 | 0.09 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 697 | 0.05 |
| Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type | 561 | 0.04 |
| Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended | 208 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,298,846 (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
If a Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets a seat belts and airbags advisory, how often does it fail next time?
5.3% of Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOTs with a seat belts and airbags advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 5,820 miles later (1,828 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,828 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Mercedes-Benz E-Class 1998 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 1999 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2000 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2001 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2002 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2003 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2004 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2005 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2006 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2007 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2008 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2009 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2010 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2011 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2012 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2013 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2014 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2015 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2017 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2018 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2019 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2020 · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Norway · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Finland · Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz E-Class by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz E-Class body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class steering failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz E-Class visibility failures