Mercedes-Benz Sprinter MOT Pass Rate
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has an MOT pass rate of 73.4%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 32,767 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 27th of 54 vans and pickups we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is brakes, at 29.4% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest Mercedes-Benz Sprinter years are 2019, 2020 and 2015, which fail 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 Sprinter MOT pass rate
- 73.4%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 32,767
Ranked 27 of 54 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 29.4% | 82.4 | 27,008 |
| Lights and signalling | 17.1% | 47.8 | 15,668 |
| Suspension | 17% | 47.7 | 15,643 |
| Tyres | 11% | 30.9 | 10,128 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 5.5% | 15.3 | 5,027 |
| Other items | 5.2% | 14.6 | 4,772 |
| Steering | 4.8% | 13.5 | 4,408 |
| Fuel system | 3.3% | 9.3 | 3,058 |
| Corrosion | 2.1% | 6 | 1,952 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 2% | 5.5 | 1,802 |
| Bodywork | 1.6% | 4.5 | 1,469 |
| Electrical | 0.7% | 1.9 | 630 |
| Structure | 0.1% | 0.4 | 117 |
| Drivetrain | 0.1% | 0.3 | 100 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | Sprinter fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 16.1% | 13.1% | 2,690 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 22.2% | 21.7% | 6,200 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 25.2% | 28.3% | 7,195 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 30.5% | 31.4% | 16,495 |
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 | Sprinter fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 29.5% | 25.5% | 78 |
| 1998 | 39.7% | 24.4% | 290 |
| 1999 | 36.3% | 25.3% | 190 |
| 2000 | 23.4% | 24.5% | 124 |
| 2001 | 27% | 25% | 597 |
| 2002 | 26.5% | 25% | 669 |
| 2003 | 28.6% | 25.3% | 795 |
| 2004 | 31.4% | 25.3% | 909 |
| 2005 | 27.1% | 25.4% | 1,123 |
| 2006 | 25.6% | 25.3% | 875 |
| 2007 | 28.4% | 25.2% | 1,463 |
| 2008 | 29.2% | 25.3% | 1,647 |
| 2009 | 30% | 24.9% | 1,232 |
| 2010 | 28.7% | 24.5% | 2,143 |
| 2011 | 25.4% | 23.4% | 1,733 |
| 2012 | 27.9% | 22.6% | 2,183 |
| 2013 | 27.6% | 21.6% | 2,507 |
| 2014 | 24.3% | 20.2% | 2,476 |
| 2015 | 27.2% | 18.7% | 2,614 |
| 2016 | 24.4% | 17.3% | 2,110 |
| 2017 | 22.7% | 15.6% | 2,190 |
| 2018 | 22.6% | 14.7% | 1,674 |
| 2019 | 25.6% | 13.8% | 1,726 |
| 2020 | 23.5% | 13.3% | 1,202 |
| 2021 | 15.2% | 12.9% | 99 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter MOT questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter reliable?
On MOT results the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is worse than average: it passes 73.4% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 27th of 54 vans and pickups we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 26.6% is 5.7 percentage points higher than the 20.9% 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 Sprinter usually fail its MOT on?
Across 32,767 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter were brakes (29.4%), lights and signalling (17.1%) and suspension (17%), 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 Sprinter years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest years of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter were 2019 (25.6% fail rate against 13.8% for all cars first registered that year, 1,726 tests), 2020 (23.5% fail rate against 13.3% for all cars first registered that year, 1,202 tests) and 2015 (27.2% fail rate against 18.7% for all cars first registered that year, 2,614 tests). 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 Sprinter get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter fails 16.1% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 30.5% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 2,690 and 16,495 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter compare with the national average?
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter passes 73.4% of MOT tests, 5.7 percentage points below the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 27th of 54 vans and pickups with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
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 32,767 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/sprinter