Mercedes-Benz Gl: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz Gl passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 3,248 individual Mercedes-Benz Gl tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 83.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz Gls 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 Gl tested had covered 97,815 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 Gl sits 7 points above the national average, ranked 1,313 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 Gl 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 Gls at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz Gl

1. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.6% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect)
3. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.8% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this defect)
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.4% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this defect)
5. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.8% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this defect)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.8% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.1% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.8% of tests
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.5% of tests
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.2% of tests

From 3,248 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz Gl tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.29% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz Gl 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 Gl

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 Gl before it actually fails on it.

1. Cable damaged or knotted, 0.6% of tests (7.71x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing, loose or worn smooth, 1.2% of tests (6.06x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 10% of tests (1.8x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 11.1% of tests (1.78x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 5.5% of tests (1.74x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32.1% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 10.2% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.8% of tests, also fails
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 6.6% of tests, also fails
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.7% of tests

From 3,248 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz Gl tests, 2024.

Mercedes-Benz Gl pass rate by model year

From its 2013 to its 2015 model year, the Mercedes-Benz Gl's first-time pass rate has risen 0.6 points, from 85% to 85.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Mercedes-Benz Gl year:

• 2007 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 80.9% first-time pass, 246 tests
• 2011 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 83.1% first-time pass, 278 tests
• 2013 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 85% first-time pass, 514 tests
• 2014 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 86.8% first-time pass, 537 tests
• 2015 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 85.6% first-time pass, 633 tests
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz Gl - 84.9% first-time pass, 225 tests

Mercedes-Benz Gl by fuel type

The Mercedes-Benz Gl's two most-tested fuel types split by 5.2 points: diesel passes first time 83.9% of the time (2,812 tests) against 89.1% for petrol (402 tests).

• Diesel Mercedes-Benz Gl - 83.9% first-time pass, 2,812 tests
• Petrol Mercedes-Benz Gl - 89.1% first-time pass, 402 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

• Vauxhall Vivaro F2900 Dynamic S/S - 83.8%
• Isuzu D-Max Utility - 83.8%
• Ford Transit Custom 300limitd Eblue - 83.7%
• MG B - 83.7%
• DS Ds7 - 83.7%
• Ford Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue - 83.7%

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