9,053 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Eqa reliability and MOT pass rate
91.1% passed first time. The 8.9% fail rate is 13.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 3 years old with 29,216 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
91.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 8.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
29,216 mi
3 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 8,681 | 8.9% |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Eqa 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.
- Tyres431 dangerous76.2%
- Visibility1 dangerous11.7%
- Suspension1 dangerous8.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4.4%
- Brakes3 dangerous2.5%
- Identification of the vehicle2.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.1%
- Road Wheels1 dangerous1.6%
Is the Eqa getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 8.2% from 2024 to 2025, against a falling rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,360 | — | 9.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 5,217 | — | 8.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Eqa 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 Eqa 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 cords326 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm150 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed130 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively61 tests
- 5Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn39 tests
- 6Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure24 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn19 tests
- 8Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid18 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Eqa collects 1.97 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 1.6mm1,414 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure801 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm287 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords224 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt191 tests
- 6Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn188 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre182 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn69 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Eqa MOT pass rate?
91.1% of the 9,053 Mercedes-Benz Eqa first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 8.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Eqa 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 326 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 76.2% of failures, visibility appears in 11.7% of failures, suspension appears in 8.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.9%; at 3-5 years it was 8.9%. The median Mercedes-Benz Eqa tested in 2025 was 3 years old with 29,216 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Eqa getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.6 points to 8.2% from 2024 to 2025, against a falling 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 Eqa 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 5 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Eqa: Mercedes-Benz Eqa recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Eqa?
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.