2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class passed 82.5% of its 6,776 recorded MOT tests. Executive cars of a similar age fail 23.7% of the time, so this is 6.2pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in brakes, suspension and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.0%) 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 ball joint, rigid brake pipes and tread depth — ball joint alone was recorded 290 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.1% versus 10.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 15.3% fail against 19.2% for diesel, a 3.9-point gap across 6,776 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 32.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.6% in 2021 to 15.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.0% | 543 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.6% | 450 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 400 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.8% | 327 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 301 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.4% | 159 |
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 | 290 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 257 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 230 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 210 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 157 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 142 |
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 | 32.8% | 2,223 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.7% | 1,673 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.3% | 1,307 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 10.0% | 678 |
| 5 | Other defects | 4.7% | 321 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 291 |
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 | 187 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 601 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 1,527 | 17.0% |
| 90-120k | 1,873 | 16.8% |
| 120-150k | 1,483 | 21.0% |
| 150k+ | 1,099 | 18.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 3,870 | 19.2% |
| Petrol | 2,906 | 15.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,700 | 19.6% |
| 2022 | 1,547 | 17.9% |
| 2023 | 1,357 | 17.1% |
| 2024 | 1,177 | 16.1% |
| 2025 | 995 | 15.8% |
What to check before buying a 2006 S-Class
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.0% 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 (6.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.9% 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
How many 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Classs pass their MOT?
82.5% of the 6,776 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
Brakes, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by suspension (6.6%).
Does the 2006 S-Class get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.7% in the 0-30k band to 18.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,776 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.