4,768 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz Viano reliability and MOT pass rate
72.8% passed first time. The 27.2% fail rate is 4.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 143,170 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
72.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 27.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
143,170 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4 | — |
| 6-9 years | 11 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,831 | 27.3% |
| 14+ years | 2,922 | 27.2% |
What the Viano 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous43.8%
- Brakes229 dangerous40.9%
- Suspension41 dangerous34.3%
- Tyres280 dangerous19.2%
- Body, chassis, structure25 dangerous17.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks5 dangerous12.9%
- Visibility2 dangerous12.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems11.4%
Is the Viano getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 27.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,913 | 12 | 27.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,798 | 13 | 28% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,862 | 14 | 28.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,761 | 15 | 27.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Viano 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 Viano in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements174 tests
- 2Side repeaters: not working134 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working114 tests
- 4Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value112 tests
- 5SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault108 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn96 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm87 tests
- 8Condition: has ply or cords exposed86 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Viano collects 2.98 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 1.6mm907 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine511 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded457 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened419 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn309 tests
- 6Exhaust system: system insecure245 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick219 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)216 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz Viano MOT pass rate?
72.8% of the 4,768 Mercedes-Benz Viano first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 27.2% 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 Viano usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 174 failed tests, followed by "Side repeaters: not working" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43.8% of failures, brakes appears in 40.9% of failures, suspension appears in 34.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 75%; at 14+ years it was 27.2%. The median Mercedes-Benz Viano tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 143,170 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz Viano getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 27.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 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 Viano 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 31 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz Viano: Mercedes-Benz Viano recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular Viano?
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.