30,768 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Gle reliability and MOT pass rate
88.8% passed first time. The 11.2% fail rate is 11.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 54,827 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
88.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 11.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
54,827 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 11,863 | 10.7% |
| 6-9 years | 17,588 | 11.7% |
| 10-13 years | 1,181 | 9.3% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Gle 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.
- Tyres2,148 dangerous58%
- Suspension10 dangerous14.8%
- Brakes277 dangerous12.1%
- Visibility4 dangerous7.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous6.8%
- Body, chassis, structure7 dangerous6.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous4.9%
- Identification of the vehicle3.8%
Is the Gle getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 11.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 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 | 21,830 | 5 | 9.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 26,021 | 5 | 10% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 24,409 | 6 | 11% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 28,195 | 7 | 11.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Gle 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 Gle in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm843 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords630 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed438 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken255 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction225 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick202 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt169 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn166 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Gle 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 1.6mm5,433 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,970 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened976 tests
- 4Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn939 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm917 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre824 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt783 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords731 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Gle MOT pass rate?
88.8% of the 30,768 Mercedes-Benz Gle first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 11.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz Gle usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 843 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 58% of failures, suspension appears in 14.8% of failures, brakes appears in 12.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.7%; at 10-13 years it was 9.3%. The median Mercedes-Benz Gle tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 54,827 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Gle getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 11.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 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 Gle 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 63 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Gle: Mercedes-Benz Gle recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Gle?
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.