2021 Mercedes-Benz Cla: MOT pass rate and reliability

89% of 2021 Mercedes-Benz Clas pass the MOT first time, measured across 6,371 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 29,097 miles.

How the 2021 compares

  • Against all Mercedes-Benz Clas (83.3%, 57,347 tests): +5.7 points
  • Against all 2021 cars (90%): -1 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Mercedes-Benz Cla model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2021 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mercedes-Benz Cla:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2013 76.3% 2,121 93,573
2014 77.5% 4,339 88,973
2015 80% 6,927 82,834
2016 80.7% 7,698 74,681
2017 81.7% 8,251 64,699
2018 84.5% 8,357 52,319
2019 86.2% 7,879 41,759
2020 87.6% 5,104 36,058
2021 89% 6,371 29,097
2022 94.6% 295 24,457

What this means if you are buying a 2021 Cla

The 2021 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 5.7 points more often than the Mercedes-Benz Cla average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 5-year-old car fails on

A 2021 car is 5 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is low mileage, which usually means light urban use. Short journeys are harder on batteries, brakes and exhausts than motorway miles, so do not assume low miles means low wear. On a 2021 Mercedes-Benz Cla the average at test was 29,097 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

The strongest year for this model is 2022 at 94.6%, and the weakest in our data is 2013 at 76.3%. That 18.3 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2021 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Mercedes-Benz Cla MOT data · Every model