Mercedes-Benz A-Class common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 363,689 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in Great Britain, and 78.3% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 363,689
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 78.3%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.7% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 21.7%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 14,503 off the road (SORN): 391,181

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the A-Class fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Tyres
6.9%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
2Suspension
5.8%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
5.5%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
4Brakes
4.1%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
3.7%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
2.3%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Seat belts and airbags
1.6%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
8Body, chassis and structure
1.2%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
9Road wheels
0.6%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.4%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

ConditionTyres4.5%
SpringsSuspension2.6%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.5%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.4%
Tread depthTyres2.4%
WashersVisibility2.4%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks2.3%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.1%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	729	94.9%	2.2%
2022	17,817	90.7%	3.2%
2021	29,635	89.7%	4.1%
2020	35,507	87.5%	5.0%
2019	51,152	85.3%	6.0%
2018	41,267	82.5%	7.0%
2017	40,671	77.9%	8.3%
2016	37,948	75.3%	8.5%
2015	26,521	72.0%	8.6%
2014	23,197	69.4%	8.7%
2013	15,504	68.6%	9.1%
2012	5,191	66.7%	6.9%
2011	5,286	66.0%	6.6%
2010	5,906	62.4%	7.0%
2009	6,488	59.5%	8.2%
2008	6,099	57.9%	8.6%
2007	5,293	57.7%	8.7%
2006	3,713	57.3%	8.7%
2005	2,418	59.8%	8.5%
2004	904	54.5%	8.4%
2003	967	53.7%	8.4%
2002	690	56.1%	10.0%
2001	444	58.6%	9.0%

Mileage

A-Class mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	23,300 miles	13,839
3 years	30,800 miles	24,266
4 years	37,100 miles	33,619
5 years	42,900 miles	42,607
6 years	50,800 miles	46,211
7 years	58,900 miles	37,723
8 years	68,100 miles	38,729
9 years	76,100 miles	31,639
10 years	86,300 miles	24,841
11 years	93,100 miles	19,819
12 years	91,700 miles	8,627
13 years	70,300 miles	6,114
14 years	74,100 miles	5,264
15 years	80,500 miles	6,480
16 years	85,200 miles	6,107
17 years	87,900 miles	5,777
18 years	86,800 miles	4,192
19 years	85,900 miles	3,144
20 years	81,800 miles	1,312
21 years	75,700 miles	946
22 years	78,900 miles	662
23 years	80,700 miles	494

Checking a particular A-Class?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Mercedes-Benz A-Class: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class was tyres: 6.9% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.2% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (5.8%) and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (5.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

78.3% of 363,689 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.7% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 7.0% of initial tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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