Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT pass rate & common failures
2,277,625 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (1980–2025) give it an 82.1% pass rate. That is 1.1 percentage points worse than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 16.8%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst C-Class years
Ranked across C-Class years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 91.2% of the time while 2004 cars manage 72.0%, a 19.1-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (8.1%) and tyres (6.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint, tread depth and headlamp aim — ball joint alone was recorded 99,962 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.2% versus 7.8%.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 10.6% fail against 18.4% for diesel, a 7.8-point gap across 1,504,334 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every C-Class model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 44 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Brakes |
| 1983 | 110 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 221 | 81.0% | 19.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 178 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Suspension |
| 1989 | 63 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 88 | 79.5% | 20.4% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 64 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 77 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 194 | 78.3% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 1,806 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 2,396 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 3,076 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 5,337 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 6,987 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 6,367 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 5,638 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 12,091 | 75.3% | 24.8% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 22,550 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 39,827 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 55,339 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 71,633 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 77,985 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 92,319 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 99,815 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 93,481 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 94,570 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 131,800 | 78.6% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 174,097 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 151,705 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 153,870 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 203,661 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 214,561 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 227,716 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 161,558 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 111,720 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 34,731 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 14,133 | 90.1% | 9.8% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 5,285 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 423 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 8.1% | 184,452 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.4% | 145,229 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 126,038 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.4% | 122,027 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 65,862 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.2% | 50,615 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 20,473 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.9% | 19,255 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint | 99,962 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 94,417 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 71,907 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 56,501 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 52,218 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 48,751 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 35,801 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 32,064 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 25.6% | 582,488 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.2% | 550,941 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.5% | 399,685 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.9% | 157,244 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.4% | 100,038 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.9% | 89,600 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 217,233 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 556,492 | 12.3% |
| 60-90k | 578,188 | 17.7% |
| 90-120k | 458,963 | 22.2% |
| 120-150k | 273,538 | 24.6% |
| 150k+ | 191,123 | 26.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,426,359 | 18.4% |
| Petrol | 773,202 | 17.6% |
| Hybrid | 77,975 | 10.6% |
| Other | 46 | 8.7% |
| Electric | 35 | 17.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 465,654 | 17.7% |
| 2022 | 473,268 | 17.4% |
| 2023 | 465,487 | 17.9% |
| 2024 | 446,966 | 18.4% |
| 2025 | 426,250 | 18.1% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Suspension (8.1% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (6.4% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
82.1% of the 2,277,625 Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.9% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Mercedes-Benz C-Class most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 8.1% of tests, then tyres (6.4%).
Which C-Class years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 91.2% and 2004 the weakest at 72.0%, from 5,285 and 55,339 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C-Class MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.2% for 150k+, a 18.4-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel C-Class more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 10.6% of the time against 18.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,277,625 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.