Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 77.8% of Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 349,767 tests in Great Britain. For all cars it was 71.5%.
Compared with cars of the same age
Older cars fail more often, so a model that’s mostly a few years old will look better than one that’s mostly 12. These figures compare like with like.
At 3–5 years
87.9%
All cars: 86.1% (1.8 points better). 100,510 tests.
At 6–10 years
77.7%
All cars: 76.1% (1.6 points better). 179,264 tests.
At 11 years and over
63.6%
All cars: 61.3% (2.3 points better). 69,993 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 24,266 | 90.2% | 87.8% | 31,250 miles |
| 4 | 34,104 | 88.3% | 86.4% | 36,250 miles |
| 5 | 42,140 | 86.3% | 84.5% | 43,750 miles |
| 6 | 46,242 | 83.8% | 81.9% | 51,250 miles |
| 7 | 37,746 | 79.7% | 79.3% | 58,750 miles |
| 8 | 38,982 | 76.6% | 76.3% | 68,750 miles |
| 9 | 31,426 | 73.5% | 73.1% | 76,250 miles |
| 10 | 24,868 | 70.2% | 70.0% | 86,250 miles |
| 11 | 19,855 | 68.6% | 66.9% | 93,750 miles |
| 12 | 8,654 | 68.2% | 64.4% | 91,250 miles |
| 13 | 6,096 | 67.4% | 62.1% | 71,250 miles |
| 14 | 5,263 | 63.3% | 60.2% | 73,750 miles |
| 15 | 6,483 | 60.7% | 58.6% | 81,250 miles |
| 16 | 6,161 | 58.5% | 57.5% | 86,250 miles |
| 17 | 5,749 | 57.6% | 57.2% | 88,750 miles |
| 18 | 4,213 | 57.9% | 57.0% | 86,250 miles |
| 19 | 3,225 | 57.4% | 57.2% | 86,250 miles |
| 20+ | 4,294 | 56.5% | 61.4% | 78,750 miles |
Typical mileage is the median reading at the test, to the nearest 2,500 miles.
What fails most often
The share of Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT tests that failed on at least one item in each area, against all cars. A test can fail on several areas at once.
| Area | A-Class | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 9.2% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 7.9% | 13.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.8% | 16.6% |
| Brakes | 6.3% | 10.2% |
| Visibility | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.5% | 4.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.4% | 4.2% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 3.0% of tests · what this means
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 3.0% of tests
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick failed 2.1% of tests · what this means
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 2.0% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 2.0% of tests
- Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 1.8% of tests · what this means
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid failed 1.7% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 1.6% of tests
- Srs malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault failed 1.4% of tests · what this means
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively failed 1.4% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular A-Class?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every A-Class version DVSA records under this name (engines, trims and generations together), on its first MOT test of each visit. A “pass with rectification” (fixed within an hour) counts as a fail, as in DVSA’s own statistics.
- Cars under three years old are left out, because the few tested that young are mostly taxis.
- Fuel mix of the cars tested: diesel 50.0%, petrol 46.3%, hybrid electric (clean) 3.7%.
- A pass rate describes the model, not any one car. How a car has been looked after matters more.
Download these figures (CSV) · Other Mercedes-Benz models · All makes
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data for 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our own analysis; not produced or endorsed by DVSA.