Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT pass rate: 83.1% (64,404 tests, 2025)

Name: Mercedes-Benz GLA 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 GLA passed 83.1% of its 64,404 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.6 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 8 years old with 57,594 miles on the clock.

83.1%Pass rate (2025)

64,404MOT tests analysed

57,594 miMedian mileage at test

8 yrsMedian age at test

How the GLA compares

Mercedes-Benz GLA

83.1%

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 GLA

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	4,975	26.5%
2	Tyres	4,660	24.8%
3	Brakes	2,539	13.5%
4	Body, chassis, structure	1,942	10.3%
5	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,594	8.5%
6	Visibility	1,576	8.4%

Pre-MOT checklist for GLA 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
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is

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 →

GLA pass rate by registration year

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

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2014	10,206	83.4%	+7.5 pts	73,392	83.4% visual scale
2015	26,123	82.1%	+3.4 pts	68,862	82.1% visual scale
2016	31,346	83.0%	+1.7 pts	61,490	83.0% visual scale
2017	37,781	85.1%	+1.1 pts	51,994	85.1% visual scale
2018	48,276	87.6%	+1.3 pts	42,565	87.6% visual scale
2019	34,572	88.5%	+0.1 pts	35,018	88.5% visual scale
2020	4,103	89.9%	-0.0 pts	27,762	89.9% 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
Body, chassis, structure: 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 — 513 cars · 6.6% failed the same item the next year
Individual direction indicators slightly discoloured — 587 cars · 5.1% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 4,782 cars · 5.0% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 663 cars · 3.6% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 8,873 cars · 3.2% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific GLA 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 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 GLA?

In 2025, 83.1% of 64,404 first MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz GLA were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the GLA fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (26.5% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Mercedes-Benz GLA reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 83.1% it performs above the national average at a median age of 8 years and 57,594 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.