Mercedes-Benz C-Class
From 685,913 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer C-Classs fare better: 2021 models pass at 91.1% vs 79.1% for 1994.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements and a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 27,826 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 27,826 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 18,353 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 12,630 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 12,408 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 11,639 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 8,818 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 8,781 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 8,175 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 6,896 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 5,646 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 16.4% of C-Class failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 52.4% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £129.
Fuel type matters
Hybrid versions pass at 88.7% while Diesel versions pass at 80.7%, a 8 percentage point gap.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 17,923 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 3,977 newly registered, a net loss of 13,946. At this rate, roughly 27.1 years until none remain. Now at 84.7% of its peak (446,633 in 2019 Q3).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 333,504 | 44,582 | +722 | -4,004 | -3,282 |
| 2025 Q2 | 337,528 | 43,840 | +1,062 | -4,791 | -3,729 |
| 2025 Q1 | 341,575 | 43,522 | +1,509 | -4,621 | -3,112 |
| 2024 Q4 | 345,196 | 43,013 | +684 | -4,507 | -3,823 |
| 2024 Q3 | 349,835 | 42,197 | +1,438 | -4,583 | -3,145 |
| 2024 Q2 | 353,517 | 41,660 | +984 | -3,494 | -2,510 |
| 2024 Q1 | 356,473 | 41,214 | +2,012 | -4,585 | -2,573 |
| 2023 Q4 | 359,951 | 40,309 | +727 | -3,875 | -3,148 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| C 220 Amg Line D Auto | Diesel | 10,477 | 11% |
| C 220 Amg Line Premium D Auto | Diesel | 8,701 | 10% |
| C 200 Amg Line Premium Auto | Petrol | 6,312 | 7% |
| C220 Amg Sport Cdi Blueef-Cy A | Diesel | 5,875 | 6% |
| C 200 Amg Line Auto | Petrol | 5,602 | 6% |
| C 250 Amg Line Premium + D A | Diesel | 5,187 | 6% |
| C220 Sport Cdi A | Diesel | 4,906 | 5% |
| C 220 Amg Line Premium + D A | Diesel | 4,089 | 4% |
| C350 Sport E Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 3,936 | 4% |
| C220 Sport Bluetec Auto | Diesel | 3,845 | 4% |
| C220 Amg Sport + Cdi Blue-Cy A | Diesel | 3,718 | 4% |
| C220 Sport Cdi Blueeffi-Cy A | Diesel | 3,510 | 4% |
| C180 Executive Se Blue-Cy A | Petrol | 3,313 | 4% |
| C 220 Sport D Auto | Diesel | 3,244 | 4% |
| C220 Amg Sport Ed Prem + Cdi A | Diesel | 3,222 | 4% |
| C250 Amg Sport Cdi Blueef-Cy A | Diesel | 3,181 | 3% |
| C 200 Sport Auto | Petrol | 3,165 | 3% |
| C200 Sport Auto | Diesel | 3,065 | 3% |
| C180 Komp. Avantgarde Se A | Gas | 2,973 | 3% |
| C250 Amg Sport + Cdi Blue-Cy A | Diesel | 2,877 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2020 | 90.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 90.1% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 88.7% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
24 earlier years
| 2017 | 87.2% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2016 | 85.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2015 | 84% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 82.5% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 78.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2012 | 76.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2011 | 76.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2010 | 74.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2009 | 73.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2008 | 73.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 70.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2006 | 68.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 67.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2004 | 67.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 67.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2002 | 68.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2001 | 68.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2000 | 75.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1999 | 77.5% | lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1998 | 75.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements |
| 1997 | 76.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 1996 | 78.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1995 | 78.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 1994 | 79.1% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all C-Classs tested had between 30,757 and 90,168 miles on the clock.
At 72,092 median miles, the C-Class has 0.026 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Common questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT pass rate?
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has a 81.2% MOT pass rate based on 685,913 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
The most common MOT failure on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 27,826 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Mercedes-Benz C-Classs are on UK roads?
There are 333,504 Mercedes-Benz C-Classs currently licensed on UK roads, with 44,582 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Mercedes-Benz C-Class is 72,092 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 30,757 and 90,168 miles.
Buying a used C-Class?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 81.2% pass rate and an average repair bill of £129 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.