Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT pass rate & common failures
146,976 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz CLS (2000–2022) give it an 81.3% pass rate. Against executive cars of a similar age (17.6% fail rate), the CLS comes out 1.1pp worse. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst CLS years
Ranked across CLS 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
Not every year is equal — 87.5% of 2018 examples pass against 75.9% of 2009 ones.
No single area dominates — tyres (8.2%) and suspension (6.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rigid brake pipes, tread depth and coil spring — rigid brake pipes alone was recorded 5,427 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.3% versus 10.6%.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 14.5% fail against 18.8% for diesel, a 4.3-point gap across 130,733 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 26.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every CLS model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 6,369 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 10,081 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 12,091 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 9,389 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 7,611 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 7,229 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 7,400 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 6,940 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 19,035 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 10,909 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 17,033 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 12,261 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 8,626 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 5,668 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 5,128 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 1,012 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 139 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Road wheels |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 8.2% | 12,026 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.6% | 9,723 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.3% | 7,861 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 6,503 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 3,670 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.7% | 2,476 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 1.2% | 1,817 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 1,557 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigid brake pipes | 5,427 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 4,926 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 4,789 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 4,239 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 3,523 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 2,464 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 1,906 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 1,756 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 26.9% | 39,586 |
| 2 | Tyres | 25.1% | 36,873 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.4% | 22,571 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.5% | 9,534 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 5.8% | 8,555 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.5% | 5,131 |
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 | 9,685 | 10.6% |
| 30-60k | 31,694 | 14.2% |
| 60-90k | 40,183 | 18.4% |
| 90-120k | 33,289 | 21.3% |
| 120-150k | 19,882 | 22.8% |
| 150k+ | 12,159 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 130,183 | 18.8% |
| Petrol | 16,234 | 17.5% |
| Hybrid | 550 | 14.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30,902 | 18.4% |
| 2022 | 31,277 | 18.5% |
| 2023 | 30,045 | 18.4% |
| 2024 | 28,365 | 19.3% |
| 2025 | 26,387 | 18.8% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz CLS
- Tyres (8.2% 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.
- Suspension (6.6% 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.
- Brakes (5.3% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 CLS?
81.3% of the 146,976 Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.7% fail rate, across model years 2000–2022.
What does the Mercedes-Benz CLS most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 8.2% of tests, then suspension (6.6%).
Which CLS years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 87.5% and 2009 the weakest at 75.9%, from 5,668 and 7,611 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect CLS MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.3% for 150k+, a 12.7-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel CLS more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 14.5% of the time against 18.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 146,976 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.