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

In 2025, DVSA recorded 359,094 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in Great Britain, and 74.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 359,094
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 74.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.9% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 25.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 8.4%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 50,368 off the road (SORN): 334,508

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

Failure areas

Where the C-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.

1Suspension
10.3%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Tyres
7.5%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
3Brakes
6.0%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
6.0%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
3.6%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Visibility
2.6%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
1.0%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Seat belts and airbags
1.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Road wheels
0.9%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%
10Steering
0.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%

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.

Suspension armsSuspension5.5%
ConditionTyres4.4%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.5%
Tread depthTyres3.2%
SpringsSuspension2.8%
Brake performanceBrakes2.8%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.7%
Anti-roll barsSuspension2.6%

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	359	93.9%	2.2%
2022	4,671	89.1%	5.7%
2021	6,195	87.2%	7.2%
2020	9,956	85.8%	7.4%
2019	24,653	85.6%	7.0%
2018	28,371	83.9%	7.0%
2017	39,542	81.6%	7.2%
2016	36,616	80.4%	7.2%
2015	34,055	78.0%	7.5%
2014	25,198	75.2%	8.4%
2013	23,428	69.8%	9.3%
2012	25,672	67.4%	10.2%
2011	18,788	67.5%	9.9%
2010	12,773	66.0%	9.9%
2009	12,614	64.4%	10.8%
2008	13,130	63.7%	10.6%
2007	11,393	61.6%	9.9%
2006	8,749	58.9%	9.8%
2005	7,268	59.7%	9.7%
2004	5,357	58.3%	9.9%
2003	3,640	58.9%	9.6%
2002	2,026	63.8%	7.9%
2001	1,077	63.2%	8.4%
2000	522	67.4%	8.0%

Mileage

C-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	24,100 miles	3,781
3 years	32,000 miles	5,118
4 years	38,600 miles	8,177
5 years	44,200 miles	18,688
6 years	51,300 miles	26,419
7 years	60,800 miles	32,499
8 years	71,400 miles	39,513
9 years	83,300 miles	32,654
10 years	91,000 miles	31,484
11 years	95,400 miles	23,075
12 years	101,600 miles	25,509
13 years	107,500 miles	21,952
14 years	109,700 miles	15,260
15 years	113,800 miles	12,962
16 years	119,800 miles	11,898
17 years	117,300 miles	12,967
18 years	116,000 miles	9,974
19 years	115,900 miles	8,146
20 years	113,100 miles	5,916
21 years	107,900 miles	4,473
22 years	100,200 miles	2,644
23 years	95,500 miles	1,531
24 years	94,600 miles	691
25 years	103,200 miles	613

Checking a particular C-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 C-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 C-Class?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was suspension: 10.3% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came tyres (7.5%) and brakes (6.0%).

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

74.7% of 359,094 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.9% 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 C-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. 8.4% of initial tests on the Mercedes-Benz C-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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