3,446 tests in 2025
Mercedes-Benz X-Class reliability and MOT pass rate
84.4% passed first time. The 15.6% fail rate is 7.0 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 64,161 miles.
MOT pass rates / Mercedes-Benz
Pass rate
84.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 15.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
64,161 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 609 | 10.8% |
| 6-9 years | 2,837 | 16.7% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the X-Class 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.
- Brakes84 dangerous29.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks23.9%
- Tyres102 dangerous23.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5 dangerous22.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous16.5%
- Visibility13%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous10.9%
- Suspension3 dangerous10.8%
Is the X-Class getting worse?
The fail rate held at 15.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 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 | 3,205 | 3 | 15.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,602 | 4 | 16.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,268 | 5 | 17% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,431 | 6 | 15.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical X-Class 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 X-Class in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction117 tests
- 2SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault77 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick65 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively45 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm43 tests
- 6Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements41 tests
- 7Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative36 tests
- 8Door condition: cannot be opened from inside the vehicle33 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical X-Class 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 1.6mm402 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick273 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened173 tests
- 4Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn122 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine107 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn103 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre52 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm50 tests
Questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz X-Class MOT pass rate?
84.4% of the 3,446 Mercedes-Benz X-Class first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 15.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mercedes-Benz X-Class usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction", recorded on 117 failed tests, followed by "SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, brakes appears in 29.3% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 23.9% of failures, tyres appears in 23.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.8%; at 6-9 years it was 16.7%. The median Mercedes-Benz X-Class tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 64,161 miles.
Is the Mercedes-Benz X-Class getting less reliable?
The fail rate held at 15.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 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 X-Class 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 11 safety recalls naming the Mercedes-Benz X-Class: Mercedes-Benz X-Class recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Checking a particular X-Class?
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.