Mercedes-Benz Cla: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Mercedes-Benz Cla passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 6.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 57,662 individual Mercedes-Benz Cla tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 82.8% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | +6.1 points |
| Tests analysed | 57,662 |
| Average mileage at test | 59,022 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 2017 |
| Reliability rank | 1,344 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 82.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 17 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz Clas 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 Cla tested had covered 59,022 miles and was built around 2017.
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 Cla 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 Cla 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 Clas actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz Cla
- Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.4% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this defect)
- Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.3% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
- An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.5% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests (1.53x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre seriously damaged, 2.8% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.1% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.3% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.3% of tests
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.1% of tests
- Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1% of tests
From 113,383 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz Cla tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 8.76% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz Cla defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Mercedes-Benz Cla 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 Cla year:
- 2013 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 76.3% first-time pass, 2,121 tests
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 77.5% first-time pass, 4,339 tests
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 80% first-time pass, 6,927 tests
- 2016 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 80.7% first-time pass, 7,698 tests
- 2017 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 81.7% first-time pass, 8,251 tests
- 2018 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 84.5% first-time pass, 8,357 tests
- 2019 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 86.2% first-time pass, 7,879 tests
- 2020 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 87.6% first-time pass, 5,104 tests
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 89% first-time pass, 6,371 tests
- 2022 Mercedes-Benz Cla - 94.6% first-time pass, 295 tests
Mercedes-Benz Cla by fuel type
Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:
- Petrol Mercedes-Benz Cla - 85.2% first-time pass, 34,177 tests
- Diesel Mercedes-Benz Cla - 80.4% first-time pass, 23,165 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
- Renault Clio Iconic Blue Dci - 83%
- BMW 535 - 82.9%
- Ford Tourneo Custom 320 Ti Eblue A - 82.9%
- Jeep Grand Cherokee - 82.8%
- BMW 125 - 82.8%
- Jeep Wrangler - 82.8%
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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