Mercedes-Benz C MOT pass rate: 78.2% (343,551 tests, 2025)

Name: Mercedes-Benz C MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Mercedes-Benz C passed 78.2% of its 343,551 MOT tests in 2025 — right on the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 84,974 miles on the clock.

78.2%Pass rate (2025)

343,551MOT tests analysed

84,974 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the C compares

Mercedes-Benz C

78.2%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Mercedes-Benz average (all models)

80.7%

What fails most on the Mercedes-Benz C

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the C:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	55,053	31.7%
2	Tyres	35,352	20.4%
3	Brakes	34,506	19.9%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	21,008	12.1%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	12,300	7.1%
6	Visibility	7,748	4.5%

Pre-MOT checklist for C owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

C pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2020, 2021. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2008, 2010. Full ranking and method: Mercedes-Benz C years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	3,928	70.4%	+3.9 pts	95,942	70.4% visual scale
2002	7,620	69.2%	+3.6 pts	97,981	69.2% visual scale
2003	13,765	65.2%	+0.2 pts	106,702	65.2% visual scale
2004	19,932	64.5%	+0.2 pts	111,997	64.5% visual scale
2005	26,728	65.7%	+1.2 pts	116,417	65.7% visual scale
2006	30,576	65.7%	+1.3 pts	112,864	65.7% visual scale
2007	38,374	68.0%	+2.9 pts	114,690	68.0% visual scale
2008	42,839	69.6%	+4.4 pts	116,300	69.6% visual scale
2009	40,822	70.2%	+3.8 pts	114,357	70.2% visual scale
2010	42,047	71.8%	+4.4 pts	106,426	71.8% visual scale
2011	60,218	72.5%	+3.4 pts	105,237	72.5% visual scale
2012	80,699	72.2%	+1.0 pts	98,799	72.2% visual scale
2013	72,438	74.6%	+1.2 pts	92,208	74.6% visual scale
2014	76,814	79.9%	+4.1 pts	85,486	79.9% visual scale
2015	103,035	82.3%	+3.5 pts	80,236	82.3% visual scale
2016	110,346	83.9%	+2.5 pts	69,279	83.9% visual scale
2017	118,299	85.2%	+1.2 pts	56,785	85.2% visual scale
2018	84,470	87.1%	+0.8 pts	47,061	87.1% visual scale
2019	71,902	88.8%	+0.4 pts	37,683	88.8% visual scale
2020	22,240	89.1%	-0.8 pts	30,705	89.1% visual scale
2021	3,431	89.4%	-1.0 pts	28,435	89.4% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Ball joint has slight play — 14,004 cars · 8.9% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 1,407 cars · 6.3% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 17,527 cars · 4.3% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 51,082 cars · 4.0% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 2,069 cars · 3.8% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific C before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Mercedes-Benz models

A-Class77.8% pass rate · 232,671 tests E79.7% pass rate · 215,896 tests A89.1% pass rate · 93,733 tests Vito73.4% pass rate · 81,263 tests GLC87.2% pass rate · 65,847 tests GLA83.1% pass rate · 64,404 tests CLA82.7% pass rate · 62,279 tests B-Class74.9% pass rate · 60,589 tests

FAQs

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

In 2025, 78.2% of 343,551 first MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz C were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the C fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (31.7% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Mercedes-Benz C reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 78.2% it performs above the national average at a median age of 11 years and 84,974 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.