Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT pass rate & common failures
420,256 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz GLA (2014–2025) give it an 89.7% pass rate. Against small SUVs of a similar age (11.6% fail rate), the GLA comes out 1.3pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and visibility.
Best and worst GLA years
Ranked across GLA 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
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (93.7% pass rate); the weakest is 2015 (86.3%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (4.4%) and suspension (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 9,299 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 19.7% once past 150k — 3.3× the risk.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 6.6% fail against 11.6% for diesel, a 5.0-point gap across 235,630 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Versions & engines
MOT records broken out by the engine designations buyers actually search for.
By model year
Every GLA model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19,750 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 50,815 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 60,004 | 87.5% | 12.4% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 71,175 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 90,246 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 73,970 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 29,696 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 19,093 | 93.5% | 6.5% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 5,261 | 93.7% | 6.3% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 234 | 96.6% | 3.4% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.4% | 18,333 |
| 2 | Suspension | 2.3% | 9,845 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.1% | 8,753 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 8,646 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 8,614 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 4,649 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 4,646 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.4% | 1,541 |
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 | 9,299 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 8,116 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 6,221 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 4,990 |
| 5 | Washers | 4,953 |
| 6 | Wipers | 4,719 |
| 7 | Joints | 4,427 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 4,338 |
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 | 23.3% | 97,782 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.7% | 61,801 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.2% | 30,166 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.2% | 13,326 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.5% | 10,553 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 5,152 |
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 | 131,295 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 188,154 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 77,007 | 15.0% |
| 90-120k | 19,250 | 18.2% |
| 120-150k | 3,655 | 19.5% |
| 150k+ | 848 | 19.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 229,798 | 11.6% |
| Petrol | 184,626 | 8.8% |
| Hybrid | 5,832 | 6.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57,637 | 7.6% |
| 2022 | 76,198 | 8.3% |
| 2023 | 87,017 | 10.0% |
| 2024 | 96,560 | 11.3% |
| 2025 | 102,844 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Tyres (4.4% 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.
- Suspension (2.3% 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.
- Visibility (2.1% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£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 GLA?
89.7% of the 420,256 Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.3% fail rate, across model years 2014–2025.
What does the Mercedes-Benz GLA most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.4% of tests, then suspension (2.3%).
Which GLA years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.7% and 2015 the weakest at 86.3%, from 5,261 and 50,815 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect GLA MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 19.7% for 150k+, a 13.7-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel GLA more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 6.6% of the time against 11.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 420,256 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.