Mercedes-Benz SL MOT pass rate: 85.2% (20,282 tests, 2025)

Name: Mercedes-Benz SL 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 SL passed 85.2% of its 20,282 MOT tests in 2025 — 7.7 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 21 years old with 64,866 miles on the clock.

85.2%Pass rate (2025)

20,282MOT tests analysed

64,866 miMedian mileage at test

21 yrsMedian age at test

How the SL compares

Mercedes-Benz SL

85.2%

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 SL

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	1,490	24.1%
2	Tyres	1,176	19.0%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,122	18.1%
4	Brakes	1,087	17.6%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	487	7.9%
6	Visibility	449	7.3%

Pre-MOT checklist for SL 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
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
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 →

SL pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2002	2,872	83.7%	+18.0 pts	73,879	83.7% visual scale
2003	6,974	83.5%	+18.4 pts	74,302	83.5% visual scale
2004	5,427	85.1%	+20.8 pts	73,646	85.1% visual scale
2005	3,317	84.4%	+19.9 pts	72,624	84.4% visual scale
2006	2,379	83.4%	+18.9 pts	72,034	83.4% visual scale
2007	2,326	83.4%	+18.2 pts	67,976	83.4% visual scale
2008	2,255	85.1%	+20.0 pts	62,436	85.1% visual scale
2013	3,359	84.3%	+11.0 pts	45,701	84.3% visual scale
2014	3,147	87.4%	+11.6 pts	43,438	87.4% visual scale
2015	2,372	88.6%	+9.9 pts	37,269	88.6% visual scale
2016	2,291	90.6%	+9.2 pts	32,791	90.6% visual scale
2017	1,901	91.6%	+7.6 pts	27,262	91.6% 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):

Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 259 cars · 6.6% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 221 cars · 6.3% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 488 cars · 4.9% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 512 cars · 2.9% failed the same item the next year
Condition slightly damaged/cracking or perishing — 954 cars · 2.5% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific SL 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 CLA82.7% pass rate · 62,279 tests

FAQs

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

In 2025, 85.2% of 20,282 first MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz SL were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the SL fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (24.1% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Mercedes-Benz SL reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 85.2% it performs above the national average at a median age of 21 years and 64,866 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.