Mercedes-Benz C: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz C passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 0.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 368,905 individual Mercedes-Benz C tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 77.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 23 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz Cs 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 C tested had covered 86,029 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. On a Mercedes-Benz C 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. See how it stacks up against the Ford Fiesta.

Looking at a specific Mercedes-Benz C 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 Cs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz C

1. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.6% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.2% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
3. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.4% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.2% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.5% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
7. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.2% of tests

From 651,673 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz C tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.17% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz C defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Mercedes-Benz C 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 C year:

• 1994 Mercedes-Benz C - 82.9% first-time pass, 245 tests
• 1995 Mercedes-Benz C - 81.2% first-time pass, 309 tests
• 1996 Mercedes-Benz C - 78.4% first-time pass, 416 tests
• 1997 Mercedes-Benz C - 77.2% first-time pass, 716 tests
• 1998 Mercedes-Benz C - 77.6% first-time pass, 880 tests
• 1999 Mercedes-Benz C - 77.3% first-time pass, 801 tests
• 2000 Mercedes-Benz C - 72.8% first-time pass, 591 tests
• 2001 Mercedes-Benz C - 69.7% first-time pass, 1,278 tests
• 2002 Mercedes-Benz C - 68.9% first-time pass, 2,498 tests
• 2003 Mercedes-Benz C - 65.1% first-time pass, 4,573 tests
• 2004 Mercedes-Benz C - 64% first-time pass, 6,654 tests
• 2005 Mercedes-Benz C - 65.8% first-time pass, 8,935 tests
• 2006 Mercedes-Benz C - 65.5% first-time pass, 10,281 tests
• 2007 Mercedes-Benz C - 68.2% first-time pass, 12,922 tests
• 2008 Mercedes-Benz C - 68.5% first-time pass, 14,477 tests
• 2009 Mercedes-Benz C - 69.6% first-time pass, 13,737 tests
• 2010 Mercedes-Benz C - 71.3% first-time pass, 14,144 tests
• 2011 Mercedes-Benz C - 71.9% first-time pass, 20,290 tests
• 2012 Mercedes-Benz C - 71.5% first-time pass, 27,347 tests
• 2013 Mercedes-Benz C - 73.5% first-time pass, 24,487 tests
• 2014 Mercedes-Benz C - 79.8% first-time pass, 25,886 tests
• 2015 Mercedes-Benz C - 82% first-time pass, 34,768 tests
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz C - 83.7% first-time pass, 37,202 tests
• 2017 Mercedes-Benz C - 84.9% first-time pass, 40,087 tests
• 2018 Mercedes-Benz C - 86.9% first-time pass, 28,697 tests
• 2019 Mercedes-Benz C - 88.7% first-time pass, 24,387 tests
• 2020 Mercedes-Benz C - 90% first-time pass, 7,486 tests
• 2021 Mercedes-Benz C - 90% first-time pass, 1,802 tests

Mercedes-Benz C by fuel type

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

• Diesel Mercedes-Benz C - 76.6% first-time pass, 222,223 tests
• Petrol Mercedes-Benz C - 79.2% first-time pass, 126,387 tests
• Hybrid Mercedes-Benz C - 87.6% first-time pass, 13,864 tests

Other Mercedes-Benz models

• 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%
• Mercedes-Benz Cla - 82.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Ford B-Max - 77.5%
• Nissan Nv300 - 77.5%
• Fiat Doblo 16v Tecnico Maxi Mtjt Ii - 77.5%
• Dacia Logan - 77.4%
• Fiat Tipo - 77.4%
• Toyota Proace - 77.4%

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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate