2,373 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz 190 reliability and MOT pass rate
76.8% passed first time. The 23.2% fail rate is 0.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 34 years old with 120,198 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
76.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 23.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
120,198 mi
34 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 6 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,364 | 23.1% |
What the 190 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension38 dangerous40.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous37.5%
- Brakes91 dangerous34.9%
- Body, chassis, structure16 dangerous30.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous20.4%
- Visibility12.7%
- Steering7 dangerous12.5%
- Tyres81 dangerous12.4%
Is the 190 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.5 points to 23.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,382 | 31 | 24% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,207 | 32 | 22.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,775 | 33 | 23.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,808 | 34 | 23.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 190 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 190 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength76 tests
- 2Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt51 tests
- 3Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive51 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working50 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken45 tests
- 6Side repeaters: not working42 tests
- 7Service brake performance: excessively binding42 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded36 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 190 collects 3.55 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded409 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine316 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened204 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure171 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm164 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn153 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases152 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Fuel Pipe/s corroded124 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz 190 MOT pass rate?
76.8% of the 2,373 Mercedes-Benz 190 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 23.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz 190 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 76 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive". By section, suspension appears in 40.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 37.5% of failures, brakes appears in 34.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 23.1%. The median Mercedes-Benz 190 tested in 2025 was 34 years old with 120,198 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz 190 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.5 points to 23.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 190 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular 190?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.