Mercedes-Benz C MOT Pass Rate
The Mercedes-Benz C has an MOT pass rate of 80.9%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 72,068 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 163rd of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Mercedes-Benz C is tyres, at 29.6% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest Mercedes-Benz C year is 2006, which fails more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 October 2026.
- Mercedes-Benz C MOT pass rate
- 80.9%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 72,068
Ranked 163 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Mercedes-Benz C fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 29.6% | 50.7 | 36,540 |
| Brakes | 27.1% | 46.5 | 33,486 |
| Suspension | 14.1% | 24.2 | 17,471 |
| Lights and signalling | 10% | 17.1 | 12,357 |
| Other items | 7.6% | 13.1 | 9,409 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 3.7% | 6.3 | 4,553 |
| Bodywork | 2% | 3.5 | 2,521 |
| Fuel system | 1.6% | 2.7 | 1,934 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 1.4% | 2.5 | 1,782 |
| Corrosion | 1.4% | 2.5 | 1,766 |
| Steering | 0.9% | 1.5 | 1,056 |
| Electrical | 0.3% | 0.4 | 316 |
| Structure | 0.2% | 0.4 | 307 |
| Drivetrain | 0.1% | 0.1 | 66 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Mercedes-Benz C holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | C fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 10.9% | 13.1% | 18,421 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 18.2% | 21.7% | 28,744 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 24.5% | 28.3% | 16,340 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 29.6% | 31.4% | 8,342 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | C fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 30.4% | 25.9% | 56 |
| 1996 | 7.2% | 26.4% | 83 |
| 1997 | 23.2% | 25.5% | 401 |
| 1998 | 14.5% | 24.4% | 193 |
| 1999 | 24.9% | 25.3% | 305 |
| 2000 | 16.3% | 24.5% | 239 |
| 2001 | 23.2% | 25% | 405 |
| 2002 | 22.5% | 25% | 939 |
| 2003 | 22.9% | 25.3% | 1,391 |
| 2004 | 25.5% | 25.3% | 2,242 |
| 2005 | 26.2% | 25.4% | 2,659 |
| 2006 | 26.3% | 25.3% | 2,990 |
| 2007 | 24.3% | 25.2% | 3,790 |
| 2008 | 21.3% | 25.3% | 3,993 |
| 2009 | 22.3% | 24.9% | 3,574 |
| 2010 | 21.3% | 24.5% | 3,521 |
| 2011 | 20.3% | 23.4% | 4,912 |
| 2012 | 20.1% | 22.6% | 5,944 |
| 2013 | 18.7% | 21.6% | 5,593 |
| 2014 | 17.5% | 20.2% | 5,365 |
| 2015 | 15.5% | 18.7% | 5,545 |
| 2016 | 15.1% | 17.3% | 5,161 |
| 2017 | 13.7% | 15.6% | 5,791 |
| 2018 | 13.1% | 14.7% | 3,781 |
| 2019 | 12.1% | 13.8% | 2,331 |
| 2020 | 11.3% | 13.3% | 582 |
| 2021 | 13.9% | 12.9% | 194 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Mercedes-Benz C MOT questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz C reliable?
On MOT results the Mercedes-Benz C is better than average: it passes 80.9% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 163rd of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 19.1% is 2.2 percentage points lower than the 21.3% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Mercedes-Benz C usually fail its MOT on?
Across 72,068 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Mercedes-Benz C were tyres (29.6%), brakes (27.1%) and suspension (14.1%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which Mercedes-Benz C years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest year of the Mercedes-Benz C was 2006 (26.3% fail rate against 25.3% for all cars first registered that year, 2,990 tests). The strongest relative to their age were 2008, 2010 and 2015. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the Mercedes-Benz C get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Mercedes-Benz C fails 10.9% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 29.6% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 18,421 and 8,342 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Mercedes-Benz C compare with the national average?
The Mercedes-Benz C passes 80.9% of MOT tests, 1.8 percentage points above the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 163rd of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Mercedes-Benz C
See the full MOT history of the exact car you're looking at, free.
Related reading
What Does 'Brake Disc Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Brake Disc Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Brake Disc Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Suspension Arm Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Suspension Arm Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Repeated Suspension Arm Bush Worn Advisory: Should You Walk Away?
What Does 'Rear Suspension Bush Worn' Mean on an MOT? Serious or Not?
Rear Suspension Bush Worn: Repair Cost and How Urgent Is It
Known problems to watch for
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 72,068 tests. Last updated 3 October 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/mercedes-benz/c