84,373 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Gla reliability and MOT pass rate
85.8% passed first time. The 14.2% fail rate is 8.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 49,349 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
85.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
49,349 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 20,528 | 7.5% |
| 6-9 years | 52,198 | 15.7% |
| 10-13 years | 11,438 | 19.7% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Gla 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.
- Tyres3,669 dangerous34.1%
- Suspension29 dangerous30.6%
- Brakes1,618 dangerous17%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous14.7%
- Visibility2 dangerous12.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous10%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous9.5%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3%
Is the Gla getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6.4 points to 15.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 69,458 | — | 9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 73,823 | — | 11.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 65,778 | — | 13.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 72,564 | — | 15.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Gla 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 Gla in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken1,623 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,578 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,557 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,254 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,216 tests
- 6Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,127 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1,114 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively605 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Gla collects 2.11 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 1.6mm12,401 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure8,233 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick7,439 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,389 tests
- 5Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn3,318 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2,333 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre2,054 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm1,875 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Gla MOT pass rate?
85.8% of the 84,373 Mercedes-Benz Gla first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Gla usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 1,623 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, tyres appears in 34.1% of failures, suspension appears in 30.6% of failures, brakes appears in 17% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.5%; at 10-13 years it was 19.7%. The median Mercedes-Benz Gla tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 49,349 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Gla getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6.4 points to 15.4% 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 Gla 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 45 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Gla: Mercedes-Benz Gla recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Gla?
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.