Mercedes-Benz A: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz A passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 12.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 91,925 individual Mercedes-Benz A tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate89.5%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+12.8 points
Tests analysed91,925
Average mileage at test34,927 miles
Average year of manufacture2020
Reliability rank784 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 89.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 11 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz As presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Mercedes-Benz A tested had covered 34,927 miles and was built around 2020.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Mercedes-Benz A bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 A 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 what damaged Mercedes-Benz As actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz A

  1. Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel, 0.2% of tests (3.82x the national rate for this defect)
  2. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.6% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.2% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.2% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Lamp not securely attached, 0.2% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.8% of tests
  7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.6% of tests
  8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.2% of tests
  9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
  10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.4% of tests

From 173,109 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz A tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 7.43% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz A defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Mercedes-Benz A pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Mercedes-Benz A year:

Mercedes-Benz A by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Mercedes-Benz A MOT pass rate badge: 89.5%

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate