Mercedes-Benz Sprinter common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 212,567 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in Great Britain, and 68.8% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 212,567
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 68.8%
Failed at firstIncluding 7.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 31.2%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.8%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 50,913 off the road (SORN): 236,286

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

Failure areas

Where the Sprinter 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
15.9%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Brakes
14.3%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
3Suspension
6.6%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Visibility
5.8%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
5.6%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Tyres
4.2%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
7Body, chassis and structure
3.7%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
2.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
2.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.7%
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.

Brake performanceBrakes10.5%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks5.4%
Position lampsLamps and electrics4.0%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics4.0%
Direction indicatorsLamps and electrics3.6%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics3.0%
WipersVisibility2.7%
Stop lampLamps 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
2024	324	96.0%	0.6%
2023	682	85.5%	3.1%
2022	16,158	76.7%	5.0%
2021	20,278	77.5%	5.2%
2020	20,582	77.5%	5.6%
2019	22,217	73.4%	6.5%
2018	16,797	70.2%	7.4%
2017	16,508	68.4%	7.6%
2016	13,928	67.1%	8.7%
2015	14,383	65.3%	9.1%
2014	12,676	64.0%	9.6%
2013	10,835	61.5%	10.2%
2012	8,772	59.5%	10.4%
2011	6,702	59.8%	9.9%
2010	5,982	61.3%	10.1%
2009	4,084	60.8%	10.8%
2008	4,787	59.3%	11.0%
2007	4,214	59.5%	10.9%
2006	2,547	59.5%	9.3%
2005	2,143	61.1%	10.5%
2004	1,956	58.5%	10.6%
2003	1,723	58.4%	10.6%
2002	1,532	60.4%	10.2%
2001	1,024	60.9%	8.8%
2000	586	62.3%	9.2%

Mileage

Sprinter 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
0 years	20,700 miles	254
1 year	42,600 miles	309
2 years	71,400 miles	12,530
3 years	86,700 miles	17,250
4 years	101,100 miles	20,274
5 years	117,600 miles	20,549
6 years	130,600 miles	19,712
7 years	145,200 miles	15,391
8 years	152,800 miles	15,147
9 years	161,200 miles	14,035
10 years	168,200 miles	13,308
11 years	175,300 miles	11,687
12 years	181,500 miles	9,445
13 years	183,500 miles	7,362
14 years	183,500 miles	6,239
15 years	182,600 miles	5,090
16 years	181,500 miles	4,014
17 years	182,400 miles	4,455
18 years	178,700 miles	3,245
19 years	166,100 miles	2,232
20 years	159,900 miles	2,093
21 years	157,700 miles	1,774
22 years	156,100 miles	1,575
23 years	148,800 miles	1,264
24 years	158,200 miles	794
25 years	164,000 miles	450

Checking a particular Sprinter?

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 Sprinter: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 15.9% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came brakes (14.3%) and suspension (6.6%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter?

68.8% of 212,567 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 7.3% 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 Sprinter 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. 7.8% of initial tests on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 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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