Mercedes-Benz 190: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz 190 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 0.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 573 individual Mercedes-Benz 190 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 76.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 24 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz 190s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Mercedes-Benz 190 tested had covered 121,191 miles and was built around 1990.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mercedes-Benz 190 sits 0.6 points below the national average, ranked 1,590 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Mercedes-Benz 190 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Mercedes-Benz 190s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz 190

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 4.3% of tests (12.29x the national rate for this defect)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.8% of tests (9.26x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 7.7% of tests (8.1x the national rate for this defect)
4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2.8% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this defect)
5. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.6% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.3% of tests (2.12x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.3% of tests (2.18x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.3% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
9. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 1.9% of tests (7.16x the national rate for this defect)
10. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.9% of tests (1.89x the national rate for this defect)

From 575 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz 190 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.69% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz 190 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Mercedes-Benz 190

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Mercedes-Benz 190 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 5.4% of tests (9.62x the national rate for this advisory)
2. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 8.5% of tests (5.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 4.9% of tests (3.82x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.5% of tests (3.63x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 20.3% of tests (3.29x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 13% of tests (2.76x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.5% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 6.8% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 10.8% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 11.5% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this advisory)

From 575 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz 190 tests, 2024.

Other Mercedes-Benz models

• Mercedes-Benz C - 77.4%
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class - 78.7%
• Mercedes-Benz E - 79.2%
• Mercedes-Benz A - 89.5%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito - 72.7%
• Mercedes-Benz Gla - 85.2%
• Mercedes-Benz Glc - 87.8%
• Mercedes-Benz B-Class - 74.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volkswagen Cc - 76.1%
• Renault Koleos - 76.1%
• Smart Fortwo Pulse Mhd Auto - 76.1%
• Nissan Pulsar - 76%
• Renault Unclassified - 76%
• Smart Fortwo Passion Mhd Auto - 75.9%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate