Mercedes-Benz Cla-Class MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 79.8% of Mercedes-Benz Cla-Class MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 65,770 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
85.6%
All cars: 86.1% (0.5 points worse). 24,826 tests.
At 6–10 years
76.8%
All cars: 76.1% (0.7 points better). 36,998 tests.
At 11 years and over
70.6%
All cars: 61.3% (9.3 points better). 3,946 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9,269 | 87.0% | 87.8% | 33,750 miles |
| 4 | 8,267 | 85.1% | 86.4% | 41,250 miles |
| 5 | 7,290 | 84.5% | 84.5% | 46,250 miles |
| 6 | 8,439 | 80.9% | 81.9% | 53,750 miles |
| 7 | 8,117 | 78.6% | 79.3% | 63,750 miles |
| 8 | 7,641 | 75.8% | 76.3% | 73,750 miles |
| 9 | 7,303 | 74.0% | 73.1% | 83,750 miles |
| 10 | 5,498 | 73.0% | 70.0% | 88,750 miles |
| 11 | 3,235 | 71.0% | 66.9% | 93,750 miles |
| 12 | 711 | 68.8% | 64.4% | 101,250 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 Cla-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 | Cla-Class | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 11.6% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 5.9% | 13.7% |
| Brakes | 4.6% | 10.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% | 16.6% |
| Visibility | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.3% | 4.0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Road wheels | 1.1% | 0.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 3.2% of tests
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 2.6% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 2.6% of tests
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 2.5% of tests · what this means
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick failed 2.0% of tests · what this means
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 1.9% of tests · what this means
- Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 1.6% of tests · what this means
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid failed 1.4% of tests · what this means
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Headlamp aim: too low failed 1.0% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular Cla-Class?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every Cla-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: petrol 55.2%, diesel 40.7%, hybrid electric (clean) 4.1%.
- 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.