2018 Mercedes-Benz A MOT pass rate: 85.5% (2,502 tests)

2018-registered Mercedes-Benz As passed 85.5% of 2,502 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — broadly in line with same-age cars (86.3%).

85.5%Pass rate, 2018 cars

99.2Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,502Tests analysed

43,671 miMedian mileage at test

86.9% / 84.4%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2018 A getting worse?

Pass rate of 2018-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	85.6% -2.5 vs same-age
2024	85.5% -0.7 vs same-age
2025	85.4% +0.7 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2018 A

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	227	35.2%
2	Brakes	116	18.0%
3	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	76	11.8%
4	Visibility	74	11.5%
5	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	44	6.8%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	38	5.9%

All A years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2018 (this page)	2,502	85.5%	-0.8 pts	43,671
2019	125,677	88.5%	+0.1 pts	36,944
2020	86,336	90.6%	+0.6 pts	29,490
2021	34,759	92.0%	+1.6 pts	28,343
2022	4,161	92.8%	+1.5 pts	21,854

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Mercedes-Benz A years to avoid.

Buying a 2018 A? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2018 Mercedes-Benz A reliable?

2018-registered examples passed 85.5% of their MOT tests (2,502 tests, 2023–2025), -0.8 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 8 years old with a median 43,671 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2018 A?

The median tested example shows 43,671 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.