69,016 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Cla reliability and MOT pass rate
83.6% passed first time. The 16.4% fail rate is 6.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 54,163 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
83.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 16.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
54,163 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 26,081 | 11.7% |
| 6-9 years | 30,063 | 17.9% |
| 10-13 years | 12,233 | 23.3% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Cla 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.
- Tyres5,305 dangerous48.1%
- Suspension24 dangerous25.1%
- Brakes1,485 dangerous17.8%
- Visibility3 dangerous12.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous10.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6 dangerous9.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5.4%
- Road Wheels348 dangerous4.8%
Is the Cla getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 16.7% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 46,933 | 5 | 14.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 53,313 | — | 15.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 53,948 | — | 16.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 65,234 | — | 16.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cla 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 Cla in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,588 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,522 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,432 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken1,389 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,099 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction951 tests
- 7Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt701 tests
- 8Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid571 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cla collects 2.12 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 1.6mm11,421 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,605 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,235 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened4,989 tests
- 5Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn2,690 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm1,870 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,851 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1,414 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Cla MOT pass rate?
83.6% of the 69,016 Mercedes-Benz Cla first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 16.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Cla usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 1,588 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 48.1% of failures, suspension appears in 25.1% of failures, brakes appears in 17.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.7%; at 10-13 years it was 23.3%. The median Mercedes-Benz Cla tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 54,163 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Cla getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 16.7% 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 Cla 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 55 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Cla: Mercedes-Benz Cla recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Cla?
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.