In 2025, 216,358 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 77% passed first time, compared with 71% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the E-Class better than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 40 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 90% of E-Classs passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 66% (all cars: 58%). It beats the average car at every age with enough data, from 8 to 20 years.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | E-Class passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 374 | 90% | 88% | 41,016 |
| 4 years | 2,186 | 88% | 87% | 49,523 |
| 5 years | 6,536 | 87% | 86% | 54,773 |
| 6 years | 18,745 | 86% | 84% | 71,190 |
| 7 years | 20,732 | 84% | 81% | 78,654 |
| 8 years | 21,735 | 83% | 78% | 92,983 |
| 9 years | 19,920 | 81% | 75% | 96,062 |
| 10 years | 20,687 | 78% | 72% | 102,665 |
| 11 years | 19,410 | 75% | 69% | 101,899 |
| 12 years | 17,806 | 71% | 66% | 106,689 |
| 13 years | 13,648 | 69% | 63% | 110,085 |
| 14 years | 12,388 | 70% | 61% | 112,072 |
| 15 years | 10,411 | 69% | 59% | 115,031 |
| 16 years | 6,025 | 70% | 58% | 123,868 |
| 17 years | 3,830 | 70% | 57% | 134,864 |
| 18 years | 4,693 | 71% | 57% | 136,734 |
| 19 years | 3,062 | 69% | 57% | 134,009 |
| 20 years | 3,377 | 66% | 58% | 136,751 |
What fails most on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The area that lets the E-Class down most, relative to other cars, is road wheels: 1.5% of tests failed on it, 12.2 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on body and structure and lights and electrics.
Share of E-Class tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 4.4% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.8% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 3.7% |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | Tyres | 2.7% |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Suspension | 2.6% |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | Suspension | 2.5% |
What to check when buying a used E-Class
Based on where the E-Class fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Road wheels: Look for damaged rims and missing wheel nuts. More
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
- Brakes: Look through the wheels for lipped or scored discs, check the handbrake holds on a slope, and feel for pulling or vibration under firm braking. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific E-Class
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a E-ClassFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
In 2025, 77% of Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars passed their MOT first time, across 216,358 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 71%.
What do Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (4.4% of tests); a tyre seriously damaged (3.8% of tests); tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements (3.7% of tests).
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (74%), Mercedes-Benz A-Class (77%), Mercedes-Benz Vito (67%), Mercedes-Benz B-Class (72%), Mercedes-Benz Glc (85%), Mercedes-Benz Gla (80%). All Mercedes-Benz models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.