Mercedes-Benz A 200: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz A 200 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 2,194 individual Mercedes-Benz A 200 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 26 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz A 200s 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 A 200 tested had covered 88,025 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mercedes-Benz A 200 sits 3.1 points below the national average, ranked 1,658 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 A 200 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 A 200s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz A 200

1. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 2.3% of tests (5.64x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 8.4% of tests (4.56x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.1% of tests (2.26x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.5% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this defect)
5. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.1% of tests (1.62x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 1.2% of tests (1.56x the national rate for this defect)
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.6% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.7% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
9. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.6% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.2% of tests

From 2,179 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz A 200 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.83% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz A 200 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 A 200

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 A 200 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 2.7% of tests (4.75x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 2.1% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 4.7% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.1% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 7.2% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 29.2% of tests, also fails
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 17.3% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 13.8% of tests
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 7.9% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.3% of tests

From 2,179 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz A 200 tests, 2024.

Mercedes-Benz A 200 pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2014 model year, the Mercedes-Benz A 200's first-time pass rate has fallen 0.1 points, from 73.2% to 73.1%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Mercedes-Benz A 200 year:

• 2013 Mercedes-Benz A 200 - 73.2% first-time pass, 1,160 tests
• 2014 Mercedes-Benz A 200 - 73.1% first-time pass, 480 tests

Mercedes-Benz A 200 by fuel type

The Mercedes-Benz A 200's two most-tested fuel types split by 10.9 points: diesel passes first time 70.7% of the time (1,526 tests) against 81.6% for petrol (656 tests).

• Diesel Mercedes-Benz A 200 - 70.7% first-time pass, 1,526 tests
• Petrol Mercedes-Benz A 200 - 81.6% first-time pass, 656 tests

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

• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Progressive Cdi - 73.7%
• MINI Countryman Cooper D All4 - 73.7%
• Volkswagen Scirocco - 73.6%
• Mercedes-Benz R-Class - 73.6%
• Daihatsu Copen - 73.6%
• Fiat Motor Caravan - 73.6%

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