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

In 2025, DVSA recorded 29,269 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class in Great Britain, and 72.2% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

Looking at a particular ML-Class? Check its own record.

Free MOT history, mileage and tax. No sign-up.

Mercedes-Benz ML-Class at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 29,269
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 72.2%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.6% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 27.8%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.5%

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

Failure areas

Where the ML-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.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
11.7%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Brakes
7.3%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
3Suspension
7.2%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Tyres
5.6%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
4.4%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Body, chassis and structure
3.4%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
7Visibility
3.0%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
8Steering
1.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.3%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.7%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

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.

SpringsSuspension4.5%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.9%
ConditionTyres3.7%
Brake performanceBrakes3.7%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.1%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.9%
Stop lampLamps and electrics2.9%
Direction indicatorsLamps and electrics2.6%

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
2015	3,140	81.6%	6.3%
2014	3,792	79.7%	5.9%
2013	4,088	79.7%	5.5%
2012	2,505	76.4%	5.9%
2011	2,433	70.1%	7.8%
2010	2,436	68.0%	8.6%
2009	1,789	67.0%	7.8%
2008	1,907	68.1%	7.7%
2007	1,731	67.6%	8.4%
2006	1,393	67.2%	8.8%
2005	766	60.4%	10.6%
2004	998	58.1%	11.2%
2003	751	59.8%	11.6%
2002	654	60.7%	12.1%
2001	375	57.9%	11.5%
2000	314	57.3%	8.0%

Mileage

ML-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
9 years	80,500 miles	1,521
10 years	87,600 miles	3,663
11 years	98,400 miles	3,933
12 years	103,800 miles	3,502
13 years	111,600 miles	2,212
14 years	115,200 miles	2,418
15 years	121,500 miles	2,194
16 years	126,400 miles	1,662
17 years	131,700 miles	1,993
18 years	131,400 miles	1,423
19 years	134,800 miles	1,067
20 years	127,600 miles	883
21 years	130,400 miles	866
22 years	128,500 miles	687
23 years	130,400 miles	524
24 years	131,400 miles	313
25 years	134,500 miles	276

Checking a particular ML-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 ML-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 ML-Class?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 11.7% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came brakes (7.3%) and suspension (7.2%).

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

72.2% of 29,269 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.6% 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 ML-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. 7.5% of initial tests on the Mercedes-Benz ML-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.

More Mercedes-Benz models

All makes and models