2021 Mercedes-Benz E MOT pass rate: 89.1% (4,206 tests)

2021-registered Mercedes-Benz Es passed 89.1% of 4,206 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 1.3 points worse than same-age cars (90.4%). This is one of the lower-scoring E years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

89.1%Pass rate, 2021 cars

98.7Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

4,206Tests analysed

34,292 miMedian mileage at test

92.2% / 87.6%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2021 E getting worse?

Pass rate of 2021-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2024	88.8% -1.9 vs same-age
2025	89.4% -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 2021 E

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	419	60.9%
2	Road Wheels	109	15.8%
3	Brakes	36	5.2%
4	Identification of the vehicle	29	4.2%
5	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	28	4.1%
6	Visibility	27	3.9%

All E years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	2,144	72.6%	+6.0 pts	106,242
2002	3,044	73.9%	+8.3 pts	114,631
2003	9,071	73.0%	+8.0 pts	130,266
2004	12,384	72.2%	+7.9 pts	135,362
2005	12,313	71.5%	+7.0 pts	133,251
2006	10,895	72.5%	+8.1 pts	130,380
2007	16,256	74.2%	+9.1 pts	131,961
2008	12,937	73.3%	+8.1 pts	128,175
2009	20,117	72.8%	+6.4 pts	116,442
2010	33,741	72.7%	+5.4 pts	108,211
2011	39,703	73.6%	+4.4 pts	104,039
2012	42,958	73.8%	+2.5 pts	99,711
2013	55,506	75.0%	+1.7 pts	93,948
2014	59,979	78.5%	+2.6 pts	87,057
2015	63,547	81.5%	+2.8 pts	81,928
2016	61,245	84.8%	+3.4 pts	73,826
2017	66,782	86.3%	+2.2 pts	69,456
2018	63,115	86.6%	+0.2 pts	54,724
2019	56,640	87.9%	-0.5 pts	46,313
2020	19,499	87.9%	-2.0 pts	34,348
2021 (this page)	4,206	89.1%	-1.3 pts	34,292

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

Buying a 2021 E? 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 2021 Mercedes-Benz E reliable?

2021-registered examples passed 89.1% of their MOT tests (4,206 tests, 2023–2025), -1.3 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 5 years old with a median 34,292 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2021 E?

The median tested example shows 34,292 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.