Mercedes-Benz GL 2012: MOT failure rate for its age

20.6% of 447 MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz GL first registered in 2012 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 116.2 (95% CI 92.5–140.0; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2012 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

Mercedes-Benz GL built in 2012 at a glance
Measure	Value	Unit	Compared with	Years	Tests
Failed first time	20.6	%	all ages tested	2019–2024	447
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 92.5–140.0)	116.2	index	100 = normal for this model at that age	2019–2024	447
Rank among this model's 11 build years	10	of 11	1 = fails least for its age	2019–2024	447
Tested in 2024	96	tests	median 103,275 miles	2024	96

Built 2012 against Mercedes-Benz GL normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 7: 22.5% vs 19.7%; age 8: 21.7% vs 18%; age 9: 20% vs 16.8%; age 10: 11.3% vs 16.8%; age 11: 28.6% vs 18%; age 12: 15.6% vs n/a%. Axis from 0% to 30%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Check a 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL by registration · All Mercedes-Benz GL MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL fail at each age?

Cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Mercedes-Benz GL built 2012: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
Age	Tests	Failed, %	95% interval	Normal for this model at that age, %	Index (100 = normal)
7	71 (rough estimate)	22.5	14.4–33.5	19.7	114.5
8	60 (rough estimate)	21.7	13.1–33.6	18	120.6
9	105 (rough estimate)	20	13.5–28.6	16.8	118.9
10	106 (rough estimate)	11.3	6.6–18.8	16.8	67.3
11	105 (rough estimate)	28.6	20.8–37.8	18	158.6
12	96 (rough estimate)	15.6	9.7–24.2	not available	not available

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 543 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2012 is brakes: 9.4 items per 100 first tests, against 8.7 across all build years of the Mercedes-Benz GL. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Mercedes-Benz GL built 2012 against the Mercedes-Benz GL in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure group	Built 2012, per 100	All build years, per 100	Items
Brakes	9.4	8.7	51
Tyres	7.9	9.9	43
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	6.8	11	37

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 543 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2012 compare with the years around it?

Among the 11 published build years of the Mercedes-Benz GL, 2012 ranks 10 (1 = fails least for its age). 2011: index 123.9. 2013: index 105.9.

Mercedes-Benz GL build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build year	Index (100 = normal)	95% interval	Verdict	Tests
2006	94.0	77.8–110.2	no different (rough estimate)	487
2007	102.3	94.5–110.1	no different (rough estimate)	2,270
2008	95.3	83.4–107.1	no different (rough estimate)	945
2009	110.8	92.8–128.8	no different (rough estimate)	480
2010	108.5	90.3–126.7	no different (rough estimate)	569
2011	123.9	106.5–141.3	worse (rough estimate)	883
2012	116.2	92.5–140.0	no different (rough estimate)	447
2013	105.9	97.2–114.6	no different (rough estimate)	3,109
2014	99.4	91.1–107.7	no different (rough estimate)	3,296
2015	95.9	88.3–103.5	no different (rough estimate)	3,800
2016	103.6	89.0–118.2	no different (rough estimate)	1,138

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 17,424 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Mercedes-Benz GL 2012 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/mercedes-gl/2012/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Other pages for this model

Mercedes-Benz GL 2006 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2007 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2008 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2009 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2010 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2011 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2013 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2014 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2015 · Mercedes-Benz GL 2016 · Mercedes-Benz GL in Norway · Mercedes-Benz GL in Finland · Mercedes-Benz GL in the Netherlands · Mercedes-Benz GL by postcode area · Mercedes-Benz GL body, chassis and structure failures · Mercedes-Benz GL brakes failures · Mercedes-Benz GL vehicle identification failures · Mercedes-Benz GL lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Mercedes-Benz GL noise, emissions and leaks failures · Mercedes-Benz GL road wheels failures · Mercedes-Benz GL seat belts and airbags failures · Mercedes-Benz GL steering failures · Mercedes-Benz GL suspension failures · Mercedes-Benz GL tyres failures · Mercedes-Benz GL visibility failures