11,628 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Eqc reliability and MOT pass rate
85.3% passed first time. The 14.7% fail rate is 7.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 34,448 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
85.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
34,448 mi
4 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 11,344 | 14.7% |
| 6-9 years | 128 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Eqc 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.
- Tyres1,201 dangerous79%
- Suspension1 dangerous16.1%
- Visibility6.1%
- Identification of the vehicle3.5%
- Brakes10 dangerous3.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2.1%
- Road Wheels22 dangerous1.7%
- Body, chassis, structure2 dangerous0.9%
Is the Eqc getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 14.5% from 2023 to 2025, against a falling rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,778 | — | 12.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,683 | — | 14.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 10,770 | — | 14.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Eqc 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 Eqc in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has ply or cords exposed716 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords475 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn247 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure82 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively64 tests
- 6Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure61 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm59 tests
- 8Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements51 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Eqc collects 1.85 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 1.6mm2,401 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn541 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm511 tests
- 4Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt371 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick320 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords309 tests
- 7Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened263 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre241 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Eqc MOT pass rate?
85.3% of the 11,628 Mercedes-Benz Eqc first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Eqc usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has ply or cords exposed", recorded on 716 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, tyres appears in 79% of failures, suspension appears in 16.1% of failures, visibility appears in 6.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 14.7%; at 3-5 years it was 14.7%. The median Mercedes-Benz Eqc tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 34,448 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Eqc getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 14.5% from 2023 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 Eqc 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 17 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Eqc: Mercedes-Benz Eqc recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Eqc?
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.