Mercedes-Benz E-Class
From 451,816 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer E-Classs fare better: 2022 models pass at 96% vs 76.9% for 1993.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 10,813 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 | 10,813 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 10,123 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 10,043 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 7,423 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 6,442 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 5,902 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,891 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 4,064 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 3,289 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 2,963 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 56.9% of E-Class failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 14.9% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £127.
Fuel type matters
Hybrid versions pass at 89.7% while Diesel versions pass at 82.6%, a 7 percentage point gap.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 9,565 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1,525 newly registered, a net loss of 8,040. At this rate, roughly 30.5 years until none remain. Now at 89.1% of its peak (275,753 in 2021 Q2).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 207,250 | 38,357 | +239 | -2,267 | -2,028 |
| 2025 Q2 | 210,021 | 37,614 | +481 | -2,132 | -1,651 |
| 2025 Q1 | 211,677 | 37,609 | +538 | -2,529 | -1,991 |
| 2024 Q4 | 214,263 | 37,014 | +267 | -2,637 | -2,370 |
| 2024 Q3 | 217,626 | 36,021 | +740 | -2,394 | -1,654 |
| 2024 Q2 | 220,132 | 35,169 | +847 | -2,113 | -1,266 |
| 2024 Q1 | 221,749 | 34,818 | +345 | -2,887 | -2,542 |
| 2023 Q4 | 224,967 | 34,142 | +186 | -2,110 | -1,924 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| E 220 D Amg Line Auto | Diesel | 16,723 | 16% |
| E 220 D Se Auto | Diesel | 12,577 | 12% |
| E 220 D Amg Line Premium Auto | Diesel | 9,517 | 9% |
| E220 Se Cdi Auto | Diesel | 7,203 | 7% |
| E220 Se Bluetec Auto | Diesel | 6,882 | 6% |
| E220 Amg Sport Cdi Auto | Diesel | 6,453 | 6% |
| E220 Amg Line Bluetec Auto | Diesel | 4,870 | 5% |
| E250 Amg Sport Cdi Auto | Diesel | 4,723 | 4% |
| E 220 D Amg Line Premium+ Auto | Diesel | 3,961 | 4% |
| E250 Spt Cdi Blueefi-Cy A | Diesel | 3,849 | 4% |
| E220 Amg Night Ed Bluetec Auto | Diesel | 3,826 | 4% |
| E350 Bluef-Cy Sport Cdi A | Diesel | 3,775 | 4% |
| E350 Amg Sport Bluetec Auto | Diesel | 3,595 | 3% |
| E350 Spt Cdi Bluecy 265 A | Diesel | 3,577 | 3% |
| E 220 D Se Premium Auto | Diesel | 3,549 | 3% |
| E320 Cdi Avantgarde Auto | Diesel | 2,860 | 3% |
| E220 Spt Cdi Blueefi-Cy A | Diesel | 2,723 | 3% |
| E220 Avantgarde Cdi A | Diesel | 2,365 | 2% |
| E 220 Amg Lne Ngt Ed Prm + D A | Diesel | 2,340 | 2% |
| E 220 Amg Line Edition D Auto | Diesel | 2,316 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 96% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2021 | 90.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, any fracture or welding defect on a wheel |
| 2020 | 89.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2019 | 89.9% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
29 earlier years
| 2018 | 88.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2017 | 87.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2016 | 86.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 84% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 83.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2013 | 80.7% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2012 | 79% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2011 | 79.3% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2010 | 78.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2009 | 77% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2008 | 75.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2007 | 76.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2006 | 74.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2005 | 74.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2004 | 73.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2003 | 73.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 74.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2001 | 73.7% | 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, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2000 | 74.3% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 1999 | 76.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1998 | 76.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in 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 |
| 1997 | 73.6% | 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, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1996 | 73.2% | 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, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1995 | 77.9% | 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, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1994 | 77% | emissions levels exceed default limits, 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 |
| 1993 | 76.9% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 1992 | 79.5% | a wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1985 | 73.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 1984 | 77.4% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all E-Classs tested had between 33,586 and 64,854 miles on the clock.
At 49,233 median miles, the E-Class has 0.035 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Common questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOT pass rate?
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has a 82.9% MOT pass rate based on 451,816 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
The most common MOT failure on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 10,813 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Mercedes-Benz E-Classs are on UK roads?
There are 207,250 Mercedes-Benz E-Classs currently licensed on UK roads, with 38,357 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Mercedes-Benz E-Class is 49,233 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 33,586 and 64,854 miles.
Buying a used E-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 82.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £127 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.