336,191 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz A-Class reliability and MOT pass rate
81.9% passed first time. The 18.1% fail rate is 4.5 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 58,237 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
81.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
58,237 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 76,002 | 9.3% |
| 6-9 years | 158,208 | 16.3% |
| 10-13 years | 65,728 | 24.7% |
| 14+ years | 35,584 | 32.8% |
What the A-Class 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.
- Tyres21,258 dangerous36.3%
- Suspension231 dangerous31.7%
- Brakes8,315 dangerous22.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment74 dangerous19.4%
- Visibility20 dangerous14.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks23 dangerous10.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems9 dangerous7.7%
- Body, chassis, structure130 dangerous6.3%
Is the A-Class getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 18.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 302,708 | — | 16.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 330,770 | — | 17.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 296,929 | — | 17.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 321,444 | — | 18.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical A-Class 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 A-Class in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken8,759 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm7,305 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,891 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords5,738 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction5,350 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed4,577 tests
- 7Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt4,066 tests
- 8SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault4,014 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical A-Class collects 2.28 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm55,556 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure29,699 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick27,878 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened24,587 tests
- 5Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn12,921 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded11,588 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm8,707 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords6,745 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT pass rate?
81.9% of the 336,191 Mercedes-Benz A-Class first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz A-Class usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 8,759 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, tyres appears in 36.3% of failures, suspension appears in 31.7% of failures, brakes appears in 22.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.3%; at 14+ years it was 32.8%. The median Mercedes-Benz A-Class tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 58,237 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 18.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 A-Class trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 67 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz A-Class: Mercedes-Benz A-Class recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular A-Class?
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.