7,463 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Clc reliability and MOT pass rate
62.7% passed first time. The 37.3% fail rate is 14.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 16 years old with 101,866 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
62.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 37.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
101,866 mi
16 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 5 | — |
| 10-13 years | 5 | — |
| 14+ years | 7,453 | 37.3% |
What the Clc 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.
- Suspension119 dangerous66.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12 dangerous33.3%
- Brakes326 dangerous30%
- Tyres752 dangerous24.9%
- Visibility2 dangerous17.2%
- Steering29 dangerous12.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous11.5%
- Body, chassis, structure20 dangerous6.6%
Is the Clc getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 37.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9,490 | 13 | 37.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 9,135 | 14 | 38.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 7,625 | 15 | 37.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 7,453 | 16 | 37.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Clc 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 Clc in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn871 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken605 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm297 tests
- 4Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt278 tests
- 5Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play274 tests
- 6Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements263 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn259 tests
- 8Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid193 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Clc collects 3.35 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 corroded1,451 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,420 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,043 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn777 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened701 tests
- 6Wheel bearings: has excessive play574 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure515 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick503 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Clc MOT pass rate?
62.7% of the 7,463 Mercedes-Benz Clc first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 37.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Clc usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 871 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 66.8% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 33.3% of failures, brakes appears in 30% 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 37.3%. The median Mercedes-Benz Clc tested in 2025 was 16 years old with 101,866 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Clc getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 37.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Clc 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 4 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Clc: Mercedes-Benz Clc recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Clc?
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.