Mercedes-Benz Ml-Class MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 72.2% of Mercedes-Benz Ml-Class MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 29,258 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
–
Too few tests at this age to say.
At 6–10 years
81.1%
All cars: 76.1% (5 points better). 5,187 tests.
At 11 years and over
70.3%
All cars: 61.3% (9 points better). 24,067 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1,523 | 82.7% | 73.1% | 81,250 miles |
| 10 | 3,664 | 80.4% | 70.0% | 88,750 miles |
| 11 | 3,934 | 79.4% | 66.9% | 98,750 miles |
| 12 | 3,515 | 78.2% | 64.4% | 103,750 miles |
| 13 | 2,204 | 73.2% | 62.1% | 111,250 miles |
| 14 | 2,414 | 68.8% | 60.2% | 116,250 miles |
| 15 | 2,191 | 67.0% | 58.6% | 121,250 miles |
| 16 | 1,674 | 67.3% | 57.5% | 126,250 miles |
| 17 | 1,989 | 67.7% | 57.2% | 131,250 miles |
| 18 | 1,428 | 69.2% | 57.0% | 131,250 miles |
| 19 | 1,072 | 64.8% | 57.2% | 133,750 miles |
| 20+ | 3,646 | 58.9% | 61.4% | 128,750 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 Ml-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 | Ml-Class | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.2% | 16.6% |
| Brakes | 11.9% | 10.2% |
| Suspension | 9.8% | 13.7% |
| Tyres | 7.8% | 8.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% | 4.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.0% | 4.2% |
| Visibility | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Steering | 2.1% | 2.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Coil spring: fractured or broken failed 5.2% of tests · what this means
- Position lamp: not working failed 3.2% of tests · what this means
- Stop lamp: not working failed 2.7% of tests · what this means
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 2.7% of tests · what this means
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 2.6% of tests
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 2.1% of tests
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded failed 1.8% of tests · what this means
- Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 1.6% of tests
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick failed 1.6% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 1.6% of tests
Checking a particular Ml-Class?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every Ml-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 91.4%, petrol 8.4%, liquefied petrolum gas (lpg) 0.1%.
- 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.