Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class appears in 1,416,902 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 83.6% of them passed. Executive cars of a similar age fail at 16.0%, so the E-Class sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst E-Class years
Ranked across E-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 91.3% of the time while 1999 cars manage 77.0%, a 14.3-point spread.
No single area dominates — tyres (7.0%) and suspension (5.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, ball joint and rigid brake pipes — tread depth alone was recorded 49,302 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.5% versus 9.6%.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 9.8% fail against 16.6% for diesel, a 6.8-point gap across 1,259,768 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.6% 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 E-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 | 69 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 206 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 308 | 79.5% | 20.4% | Suspension |
| 1985 | 262 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 44 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 83 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 175 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 213 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 203 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 255 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 1,135 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 4,293 | 79.5% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 4,818 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 3,374 | 78.5% | 21.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 2,267 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 4,100 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 3,832 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 4,305 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 5,760 | 77.3% | 22.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 7,949 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 23,401 | 77.3% | 22.7% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 31,399 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 30,698 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 26,420 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 37,791 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 29,628 | 78.5% | 21.5% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 45,643 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 74,816 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 85,834 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 91,787 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 117,048 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 122,758 | 83.3% | 16.8% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 127,029 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 119,956 | 87.5% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 129,287 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 122,684 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 98,654 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 37,263 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 15,579 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 4,631 | 91.3% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 411 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 400 | 97.5% | 2.5% | Tyres |
| 2025 | 64 | 98.4% | 1.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 7.0% | 99,352 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.7% | 80,709 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.7% | 65,918 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 53,213 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.2% | 30,879 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.5% | 21,323 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 0.9% | 13,042 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 10,575 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 49,302 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 36,693 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 33,256 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 29,176 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 27,241 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 22,075 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 18,414 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 16,032 |
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 | 23.6% | 334,790 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.1% | 327,733 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.9% | 196,469 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.1% | 86,503 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.1% | 57,638 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.8% | 54,314 |
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 | 133,295 | 9.6% |
| 30-60k | 337,177 | 12.8% |
| 60-90k | 337,231 | 16.4% |
| 90-120k | 259,771 | 19.2% |
| 120-150k | 166,605 | 20.4% |
| 150k+ | 181,600 | 20.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,240,256 | 16.6% |
| Petrol | 156,930 | 16.3% |
| Hybrid | 19,512 | 9.8% |
| Electric | 108 | 13.0% |
| Other | 79 | 15.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 278,980 | 15.9% |
| 2022 | 292,285 | 15.9% |
| 2023 | 292,361 | 16.5% |
| 2024 | 282,592 | 17.0% |
| 2025 | 270,684 | 16.9% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- Tyres (7.0% 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 (5.7% 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 (4.7% 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 E-Class?
83.6% of the 1,416,902 Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.4% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Mercedes-Benz E-Class most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 7.0% of tests, then suspension (5.7%).
Which E-Class years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 91.3% and 1999 the weakest at 77.0%, from 4,631 and 3,832 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect E-Class MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 20.5% for 150k+, a 10.9-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel E-Class more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 9.8% of the time against 16.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,416,902 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.