Mercedes-Benz C 320: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz C 320 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,192 individual Mercedes-Benz C 320 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 69% first-time pass rate means roughly 31 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz C 320s 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 C 320 tested had covered 114,802 miles and was built around 2006.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mercedes-Benz C 320 sits 7.7 points below the national average, ranked 1,785 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 C 320 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 C 320s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz C 320

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 1.7% of tests (5.41x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 5.4% of tests (5.01x the national rate for this defect)
3. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.1% of tests (4.73x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 15.8% of tests (3.15x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.7% of tests (3.09x the national rate for this defect)
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.4% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.2% of tests (2.1x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.3% of tests (1.8x the national rate for this defect)
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.3% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 3.8% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,195 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz C 320 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.94% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz C 320 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 C 320

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 C 320 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 7.9% of tests (14.04x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 5.9% of tests (9.03x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 31.9% of tests (5.15x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 3.6% of tests (2.63x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 14.4% of tests (2.59x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 13.3% of tests (2.57x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 11.1% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 28.8% of tests (2.15x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.1% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 31.1% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,195 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz C 320 tests, 2024.

Mercedes-Benz C 320 by fuel type

The Mercedes-Benz C 320's two most-tested fuel types split by 0.9 points: diesel passes first time 70.3% of the time (728 tests) against 69.4% for petrol (448 tests).

• Diesel Mercedes-Benz C 320 - 70.3% first-time pass, 728 tests
• Petrol Mercedes-Benz C 320 - 69.4% first-time pass, 448 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

• Chrysler-Jeep 300 - 69.1%
• Volvo V70 - 69%
• Chevrolet Cruze - 69%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Pure Cdi - 69%
• Vauxhall Meriva - 68.9%
• Fiat Doblo - 68.9%

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