Mercedes-Benz CLA MOT pass rate: 82.7% (62,279 tests, 2025)

Name: Mercedes-Benz CLA 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 CLA passed 82.7% of its 62,279 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.2 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 7 years old with 58,369 miles on the clock.

82.7%Pass rate (2025)

62,279MOT tests analysed

58,369 miMedian mileage at test

7 yrsMedian age at test

How the CLA compares

Mercedes-Benz CLA

82.7%

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 CLA

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	6,976	35.8%
2	Suspension	3,808	19.5%
3	Brakes	2,884	14.8%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,737	8.9%
5	Visibility	1,623	8.3%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	1,234	6.3%

Pre-MOT checklist for CLA owners

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

Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
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
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

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 →

CLA pass rate by registration year

Strongest age-adjusted years: 2013, 2014. Full ranking and method: Mercedes-Benz CLA years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2013	6,281	75.6%	+2.3 pts	90,530	75.6% visual scale
2014	12,867	78.1%	+2.2 pts	84,970	78.1% visual scale
2015	20,374	79.5%	+0.8 pts	78,313	79.5% visual scale
2016	22,781	80.7%	-0.7 pts	70,732	80.7% visual scale
2017	24,420	82.1%	-2.0 pts	60,610	82.1% visual scale
2018	24,735	84.4%	-1.9 pts	48,754	84.4% visual scale
2019	23,290	86.3%	-2.1 pts	38,691	86.3% visual scale
2020	15,059	87.1%	-2.9 pts	32,458	87.1% visual scale
2021	12,145	88.7%	-1.7 pts	30,528	88.7% visual scale
2022	6,109	89.8%	-1.4 pts	25,086	89.8% 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.

Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Suspension: 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 — 318 cars · 8.5% failed the same item the next year
Individual direction indicators slightly discoloured — 210 cars · 5.2% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 3,596 cars · 4.9% failed the same item the next year
Service brake performance fluctuating, but not excessively — 207 cars · 3.9% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 1,089 cars · 3.3% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific CLA 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

C78.2% pass rate · 343,551 tests 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 B-Class74.9% pass rate · 60,589 tests

FAQs

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

In 2025, 82.7% of 62,279 first MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz CLA were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the CLA fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is tyres (35.8% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 82.7% it performs above the national average at a median age of 7 years and 58,369 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.