Mercedes-Benz R-Class 2008: MOT failure rate for its age

32.2% of 1,424 MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class first registered in 2008 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 96.0 (95% CI 87.2–104.8; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2008 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 R-Class built in 2008 at a glance
Measure	Value	Unit	Compared with	Years	Tests
Failed first time	32.2	%	all ages tested	2019–2024	1424
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 87.2–104.8)	96.0	index	100 = normal for this model at that age	2019–2024	1424
Rank among this model's 6 build years	3	of 6	1 = fails least for its age	2019–2024	1424
Tested in 2024	265	tests	median 123,806 miles	2024	265

Built 2008 against Mercedes-Benz R-Class normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 13: 35.1% vs 35.1%; age 14: 33.3% vs 32.7%; age 15: 29.8% vs 32.7%; age 16: 29.1% vs 33.4%. Axis from 0% to 40%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Check a 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class by registration · All Mercedes-Benz R-Class 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class fail at each age?

Cars built in 2008 were tested at ages 13 to 16 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 R-Class built 2008: 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)
13	433 (rough estimate)	35.1	30.8–39.7	35.1	100.1
14	387 (rough estimate)	33.3	28.8–38.2	32.7	101.8
15	339 (rough estimate)	29.8	25.2–34.9	32.7	91
16	265 (rough estimate)	29.1	23.9–34.8	33.4	87

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,424 (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 2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2008 is brakes: 22.8 items per 100 first tests, against 20.3 across all build years of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2008 were tested at ages 13 to 16.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Mercedes-Benz R-Class built 2008 against the Mercedes-Benz R-Class in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure group	Built 2008, per 100	All build years, per 100	Items
Brakes	22.8	20.3	324
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	21.6	18.6	307
Body, chassis, structure	19.5	19.4	278
Noise, emissions and leaks	8.4	5.8	119
Tyres	7.4	7.3	106

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,424 (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 2008 compare with the years around it?

Among the 6 published build years of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, 2008 ranks 3 (1 = fails least for its age). 2007: index 103.5. 2009: index 99.7.

Mercedes-Benz R-Class build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build year	Index (100 = normal)	95% interval	Verdict	Tests
2006	99.4	88.8–109.9	no different (rough estimate)	1,017
2007	103.5	94.6–112.3	no different (rough estimate)	1,522
2008	96.0	87.2–104.8	no different (rough estimate)	1,424
2009	99.7	86.3–113.0	no different (rough estimate)	647
2010	91.6	76.6–106.5	no different (rough estimate)	470
2011	88.5	76.1–101.0	no different (rough estimate)	746

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,826 (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 R-Class 2008 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-r-class/2008/

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.

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