Mercedes-Benz Ml MOT pass rate & common failures
214,064 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz Ml (1998–2024) give it an 80.4% pass rate. That is effectively the same as large SUVs of a similar age (20.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Ml years
Ranked across Ml 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: 2015 cars pass 88.3% of the time while 2003 cars manage 71.9%, a 16.4-point spread.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 10.9% of all tests — 3.6 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and position lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 9,934 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.8% in the 0-30k band and 25.1% in the 150k+ band, a 15.2-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 3.7pp more often than diesel ones (22.9% vs 19.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 26.1% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ml model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 218 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,771 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,505 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 4,218 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 7,478 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 8,456 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 11,218 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,960 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 13,285 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 15,338 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 15,586 | 78.5% | 21.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 13,361 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 17,238 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 16,429 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 13,548 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 24,162 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 22,157 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 17,991 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 76 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.9% | 23,269 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.2% | 15,476 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.7% | 14,249 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.6% | 9,805 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 7,297 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.6% | 5,573 |
| 7 | Visibility | 2.6% | 5,570 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.0% | 4,350 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 9,934 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 7,634 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 6,874 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 6,377 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 6,145 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 5,508 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 5,485 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 4,049 |
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 | 26.1% | 55,888 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.9% | 51,263 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 17.3% | 37,092 |
| 4 | Suspension | 16.5% | 35,322 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 22,250 |
| 6 | Other defects | 8.9% | 19,092 |
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 | 2,152 | 9.8% |
| 30-60k | 20,336 | 11.1% |
| 60-90k | 50,877 | 15.7% |
| 90-120k | 63,210 | 20.2% |
| 120-150k | 47,803 | 23.5% |
| 150k+ | 29,510 | 25.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 193,140 | 19.2% |
| Petrol | 20,874 | 22.9% |
| Gas/LPG | 42 | 19.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51,630 | 20.2% |
| 2022 | 47,179 | 19.6% |
| 2023 | 42,919 | 19.5% |
| 2024 | 38,309 | 19.4% |
| 2025 | 34,027 | 18.7% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz Ml
- Lighting & signalling (10.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.2% 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.
- Suspension (6.7% 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.
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 Ml?
80.4% of the 214,064 Mercedes-Benz Ml MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.6% fail rate, across model years 1998–2024.
What does the Mercedes-Benz Ml most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.9% of tests, then brakes (7.2%).
Which Ml years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 88.3% and 2003 the weakest at 71.9%, from 17,991 and 8,456 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Ml MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.1% for 150k+, a 15.2-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Ml more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 19.2% of the time against 22.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 214,064 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.