Mercedes-Benz 230: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz 230 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 1.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 826 individual Mercedes-Benz 230 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 75.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 25 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz 230s 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 230 tested had covered 113,082 miles and was built around 1988.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mercedes-Benz 230 sits 1.4 points below the national average, ranked 1,610 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 230 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 230s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz 230

1. 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, 2.5% of tests (9.51x the national rate for this defect)
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, 6.3% of tests (6.66x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 2.3% of tests (6.49x the national rate for this defect)
4. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.3% of tests (4.99x the national rate for this defect)
5. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.9% of tests (4.4x the national rate for this defect)
6. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.5% of tests (3.41x the national rate for this defect)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.4% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this defect)
8. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.3% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this defect)
9. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.7% of tests (2.17x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.4% of tests (2.01x the national rate for this defect)

From 827 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz 230 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.43% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz 230 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 230

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 230 before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 6% of tests (9.32x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 4.5% of tests (7.98x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.2% of tests (4.18x the national rate for this advisory)
4. 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, 6.3% of tests (4.14x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 20.3% of tests (3.65x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 16.7% of tests (3.53x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 20.3% of tests (3.28x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.7% of tests (2.94x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7.7% of tests (2.72x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 6% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this advisory)

From 827 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz 230 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

• Isuzu D-Max - 75.4%
• Skoda Fabia - 75.3%
• Toyota Corolla - 75.3%
• Peugeot 208 - 75.2%
• Mitsubishi L200 - 75.2%
• Volvo Xc90 - 75.2%

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