Mercedes-Benz Cls-Class MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 74.6% of Mercedes-Benz Cls-Class MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 22,341 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
81.1%
All cars: 86.1% (5 points worse). 1,067 tests.
At 6–10 years
79.6%
All cars: 76.1% (3.5 points better). 8,756 tests.
At 11 years and over
70.5%
All cars: 61.3% (9.2 points better). 12,518 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 174 | 80.5% | 87.8% | 28,750 miles |
| 4 | 271 | 77.9% | 86.4% | 33,750 miles |
| 5 | 622 | 82.6% | 84.5% | 43,750 miles |
| 6 | 1,152 | 82.8% | 81.9% | 51,250 miles |
| 7 | 1,015 | 81.6% | 79.3% | 58,750 miles |
| 8 | 1,927 | 78.8% | 76.3% | 68,750 miles |
| 9 | 2,461 | 79.1% | 73.1% | 81,250 miles |
| 10 | 2,201 | 78.4% | 70.0% | 88,750 miles |
| 11 | 2,431 | 71.9% | 66.9% | 96,250 miles |
| 12 | 2,003 | 73.1% | 64.4% | 101,250 miles |
| 13 | 1,061 | 73.4% | 62.1% | 101,250 miles |
| 14 | 1,002 | 68.9% | 60.2% | 111,250 miles |
| 15 | 1,020 | 67.5% | 58.6% | 113,750 miles |
| 16 | 959 | 68.0% | 57.5% | 118,750 miles |
| 17 | 1,414 | 68.5% | 57.2% | 121,250 miles |
| 18 | 1,257 | 67.1% | 57.0% | 121,250 miles |
| 19 | 1,034 | 72.5% | 57.2% | 111,250 miles |
| 20+ | 337 | 70.3% | 61.4% | 103,750 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 Cls-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 | Cls-Class | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 13.3% | 8.4% |
| Suspension | 12.4% | 13.7% |
| Brakes | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.9% | 16.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% | 4.0% |
| Road wheels | 2.2% | 0.5% |
| Visibility | 2.2% | 5.2% |
| Steering | 1.4% | 2.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 4.1% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 3.7% of tests
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 3.7% of tests
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded failed 3.1% of tests · what this means
- Ball joint excessively worn failed 2.6% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 2.3% of tests
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 2.1% of tests · what this means
- Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 1.4% of tests · what this means
- Condition: fractured failed 1.4% of tests
- Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 1.4% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular Cls-Class?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every Cls-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 88.3%, petrol 10.9%, hybrid electric (clean) 0.6%.
- 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.