Mercedes-Benz Sl
From 48,034 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Sls fare better: 2019 models pass at 96% vs 85.4% for 1994.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a tyre seriously damaged, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn and a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. The top issue, a tyre seriously damaged, caused 806 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 tyre seriously damaged | 806 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 539 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 431 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 398 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 384 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 356 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 320 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 236 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 234 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 218 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 54.2% of Sl failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 9.1% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £107.
Mercedes-Benz Sl on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 252 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 10 newly registered, a net loss of 242.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 15,774 | 5,747 | +2 | -21 | -19 |
| 2025 Q2 | 16,032 | 5,508 | +3 | -0 | +87 |
| 2025 Q1 | 14,391 | 7,062 | +4 | -0 | +10 |
| 2024 Q4 | 14,295 | 7,148 | +1 | -231 | -230 |
| 2024 Q3 | 16,118 | 5,555 | +3 | -0 | +76 |
| 2024 Q2 | 16,446 | 5,151 | +5 | -0 | +497 |
| 2024 Q1 | 15,318 | 5,782 | +1 | -673 | -672 |
| 2023 Q4 | 15,198 | 6,574 | +1 | -206 | -205 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sl 350 Auto | Gas | 2,879 | 19% |
| Sl500 Auto | Gas | 2,605 | 18% |
| Sl350 Auto | Petrol | 1,688 | 11% |
| Sl320 Auto | Gas | 1,183 | 8% |
| Sl 400 Amg Line Auto | Petrol | 882 | 6% |
| Sl55 Amg Kompressor A | Petrol | 771 | 5% |
| Sl 500 Auto | Petrol | 623 | 4% |
| Sl 320 Auto | Petrol | 617 | 4% |
| Sl350 Amg Sport Auto | Petrol | 616 | 4% |
| Sl400 Amg Sport | Petrol | 615 | 4% |
| Sl280 Auto | Petrol | 427 | 3% |
| Sl63 Amg Auto | Petrol | 320 | 2% |
| Sl500 Amg Sport Auto | Petrol | 267 | 2% |
| Sl 400 Amg Line Premium Auto | Petrol | 265 | 2% |
| Sl400 Amg Sport Auto | Petrol | 215 | 1% |
| Sl 280 Auto | Petrol | 188 | 1% |
| Sl 500 Amg Line Auto | Petrol | 185 | 1% |
| Sl 63 Amg Auto | Petrol | 182 | 1% |
| Sl 400 Grand Edition Premium A | Petrol | 157 | 1% |
| Sl55 Amg Auto | Petrol | 142 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 96% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 92.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, number plate does not conform to the specified requirements |
| 2017 | 94.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2016 | 93.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
33 earlier years
| 2015 | 91.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2014 | 90.9% | a tyre seriously damaged, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| 2013 | 87.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| 2012 | 89.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2011 | 89.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2010 | 86.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2009 | 86.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2008 | 86.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2007 | 87.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2006 | 86.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2005 | 84.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2004 | 86.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2003 | 84.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2002 | 85% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2001 | 88.5% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated |
| 2000 | 84% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 1999 | 84.5% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated |
| 1998 | 83.4% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements |
| 1997 | 82.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 1996 | 81.8% | emissions levels exceed default limits, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 1995 | 81.5% | a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1994 | 85.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 1993 | 82.7% | lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 1992 | 82.6% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a brake hose ferrule excessively corroded |
| 1991 | 78.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 1990 | 79.2% | emissions levels exceed default limits, brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. |
| 1989 | 84.9% | 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 |
| 1988 | 82.4% | 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 |
| 1987 | 88.5% | emissions levels exceed default limits, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1986 | 79.3% | a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated |
| 1985 | 83.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 1984 | 79.9% | 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 |
| 1983 | 91.7% | 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 Sls tested had between 32,065 and 61,160 miles on the clock.
At 44,518 median miles, the Sl has 0.03 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Common questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Sl MOT pass rate?
The Mercedes-Benz Sl has a 86.7% MOT pass rate based on 48,034 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz Sl?
The most common MOT failure on the Mercedes-Benz Sl is a tyre seriously damaged, which caused 806 failures. Other common issues include a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn.
How many Mercedes-Benz Sls are on UK roads?
There are 15,774 Mercedes-Benz Sls currently licensed on UK roads, with 5,747 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Mercedes-Benz Sl at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Mercedes-Benz Sl is 44,518 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 32,065 and 61,160 miles.
Buying a used Sl?
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.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
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.