Mercedes-Benz S-Class MOT pass rate and common failures
In 2025, 83.5% of Mercedes-Benz S-Class MOT tests were a first-time pass, across 25,290 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
91.2%
All cars: 86.1% (5.1 points better). 2,868 tests.
At 6–10 years
87.8%
All cars: 76.1% (11.7 points better). 11,068 tests.
At 11 years and over
77.3%
All cars: 61.3% (16 points better). 11,354 tests.
Pass rate by age
Figures by age, with typical mileage
| Age (years) | Tests | First-time pass | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 616 | 90.7% | 87.8% | 36,250 miles |
| 4 | 691 | 91.0% | 86.4% | 48,750 miles |
| 5 | 1,561 | 91.4% | 84.5% | 66,250 miles |
| 6 | 2,260 | 90.8% | 81.9% | 71,250 miles |
| 7 | 2,120 | 89.2% | 79.3% | 66,250 miles |
| 8 | 2,589 | 85.6% | 76.3% | 68,750 miles |
| 9 | 2,268 | 86.2% | 73.1% | 76,250 miles |
| 10 | 1,831 | 87.7% | 70.0% | 83,750 miles |
| 11 | 1,263 | 85.6% | 66.9% | 96,250 miles |
| 12 | 1,013 | 80.4% | 64.4% | 101,250 miles |
| 13 | 1,081 | 78.6% | 62.1% | 106,250 miles |
| 14 | 852 | 78.8% | 60.2% | 108,750 miles |
| 15 | 697 | 75.9% | 58.6% | 108,750 miles |
| 16 | 804 | 71.4% | 57.5% | 111,250 miles |
| 17 | 998 | 75.3% | 57.2% | 113,750 miles |
| 18 | 1,004 | 75.8% | 57.0% | 111,250 miles |
| 19 | 624 | 77.2% | 57.2% | 111,250 miles |
| 20+ | 3,018 | 75.0% | 61.4% | 106,250 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 S-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 | S-Class | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 7.1% | 13.7% |
| Brakes | 6.7% | 10.2% |
| Tyres | 6.7% | 8.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.1% | 16.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.0% | 4.0% |
| Visibility | 2.8% | 5.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 1.0% | 4.2% |
| Road wheels | 1.0% | 0.5% |
Most common reasons for failing
- Ball joint excessively worn failed 3.5% of tests · what this means
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm failed 2.4% of tests
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction failed 1.7% of tests · what this means
- Condition: has ply or cords exposed failed 1.4% of tests
- Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords failed 1.2% of tests
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn failed 1.2% of tests · what this means
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded failed 0.9% of tests · what this means
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively failed 0.9% of tests · what this means
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick failed 0.9% of tests · what this means
- Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt failed 0.9% of tests · what this means
Checking a particular S-Class?
See its own MOT history, mileage record and advisories in plain English. Free, no sign-up.
About these figures
- They cover every S-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 68.1%, petrol 26.0%, hybrid electric (clean) 5.2%.
- 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.