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MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 89.3% of 77,568 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class ended in a pass, 12.8 points above the 76.5% average for all cars.

Some tests of this class are recorded under a model name that DVSA shares across every Mercedes-Benz class, so they are left out of these figures.

Pass rate
89.3%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
77,568
Initial MOTs in 2023
Mileage at 10
87k
Median; middle half 67k to 109k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
222,179 tests
91.5%
21,000 · 15k to 29k
336,860 tests
89.7%
27,000 · 19k to 37k
416,048 tests
87.5%
33,000 · 23k to 43k
91,041 tests
72.1%
83,000 · 67k to 105k
10541 tests
76.3%
87,000 · 67k to 109k
A-Class pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1.8in 100 tests
Airbag warning light
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
1.5in 100 tests
Wiper blades
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1.1in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1.0in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
1.0in 100 tests
Headlight aim
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
0.6in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
0.4in 100 tests
Tyre pressure warning
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
0.4in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6.6in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2.5in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
2.2in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
2.1in 100 tests
Windscreen
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)
1.7in 100 tests
Wiper blades
Wiper blade defective (minor defect)
1.2in 100 tests
Number plates
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
0.6in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
0.6in 100 tests

What to check on a used A-Class

The parts that come up most often in Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  2. Tyres
    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
  3. Wipers, washers and windscreen
    Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
  4. Warning lights
    With the ignition on, every warning light should come on, then go out once the engine is running.
  5. Number plates
    Check the plates are clean, legal and match the registration on the V5C logbook.

Check a specific A-Class

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?
In 2023, 89.3% of 77,568 initial MOT tests on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans.
What fails most often on a Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT?
The most common failures were tyre tread (1.8 in 100 tests), airbag warning light (1.5 in 100 tests), wiper blades (1.1 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Mercedes-Benz A-Class?
At 10 years old, the median Mercedes-Benz A-Class at its MOT had covered 87,000 miles, and the middle half had between 67,000 and 109,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Mercedes-Benz A-Class?
The most common advisories were brake pads (6.6 in 100 tests), tyre tread (2.5 in 100 tests), brake discs (2.2 in 100 tests).

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Mercedes-Benz models or see every make.

C-Class78.1%E-Class79.9%Sprinter73.0%Vito72.7%GLA88.6%A-Class89.3%GLC89.8%SLK75.9%CLA83.7%M-Class76.1%CLK67.1%GLE89.6%CLS77.5%SL84.9%Citan72.1%V-Class84.0%CLC60.5%SLC88.8%B-Class92.5%Viano71.3%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.