Mercedes-Benz E MOT pass rate: 79.7% (215,896 tests, 2025)

Name: Mercedes-Benz E 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 E passed 79.7% of its 215,896 MOT tests in 2025 — 2.2 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 10 years old with 90,540 miles on the clock.

79.7%Pass rate (2025)

215,896MOT tests analysed

90,540 miMedian mileage at test

10 yrsMedian age at test

How the E compares

Mercedes-Benz E

79.7%

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 E

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	25,855	27.7%
2	Tyres	23,987	25.7%
3	Brakes	19,952	21.4%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	9,166	9.8%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	5,755	6.2%
6	Road Wheels	3,151	3.4%

Pre-MOT checklist for E 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 →

E pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2019, 2020, 2021. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2002, 2007. Full ranking and method: Mercedes-Benz E years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	2,144	72.6%	+6.0 pts	106,242	72.6% visual scale
2002	3,044	73.9%	+8.3 pts	114,631	73.9% visual scale
2003	9,071	73.0%	+8.0 pts	130,266	73.0% visual scale
2004	12,384	72.2%	+7.9 pts	135,362	72.2% visual scale
2005	12,313	71.5%	+7.0 pts	133,251	71.5% visual scale
2006	10,895	72.5%	+8.1 pts	130,380	72.5% visual scale
2007	16,256	74.2%	+9.1 pts	131,961	74.2% visual scale
2008	12,937	73.3%	+8.1 pts	128,175	73.3% visual scale
2009	20,117	72.8%	+6.4 pts	116,442	72.8% visual scale
2010	33,741	72.7%	+5.4 pts	108,211	72.7% visual scale
2011	39,703	73.6%	+4.4 pts	104,039	73.6% visual scale
2012	42,958	73.8%	+2.5 pts	99,711	73.8% visual scale
2013	55,506	75.0%	+1.7 pts	93,948	75.0% visual scale
2014	59,979	78.5%	+2.6 pts	87,057	78.5% visual scale
2015	63,547	81.5%	+2.8 pts	81,928	81.5% visual scale
2016	61,245	84.8%	+3.4 pts	73,826	84.8% visual scale
2017	66,782	86.3%	+2.2 pts	69,456	86.3% visual scale
2018	63,115	86.6%	+0.2 pts	54,724	86.6% visual scale
2019	56,640	87.9%	-0.5 pts	46,313	87.9% visual scale
2020	19,499	87.9%	-2.0 pts	34,348	87.9% visual scale
2021	4,206	89.1%	-1.3 pts	34,292	89.1% 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 — 6,062 cars · 8.9% failed the same item the next year
Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 287 cars · 7.3% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 1,050 cars · 5.2% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 12,706 cars · 4.9% failed the same item the next year
Service brake performance binding but not excessively — 561 cars · 4.6% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific E 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 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 E?

In 2025, 79.7% of 215,896 first MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz E were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the E fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (27.7% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Mercedes-Benz E reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 79.7% it performs above the national average at a median age of 10 years and 90,540 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.