2004 Mercedes-Benz Ml: MOT pass rate and reliability

65.6% of 2004 Mercedes-Benz Mls pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,301 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 130,116 miles.

How the 2004 compares

  • Against all Mercedes-Benz Mls (76.8%, 31,973 tests): -11.2 points
  • Against all 2004 cars (64%): +1.6 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Mercedes-Benz Ml model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2004 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mercedes-Benz Ml:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2000 64.2% 405 132,437
2001 69% 480 134,142
2002 71.2% 860 130,674
2003 65.4% 934 130,401
2004 65.6% 1,301 130,116
2005 67.2% 975 128,442
2006 74% 1,732 131,830
2007 73.7% 2,146 131,037
2008 72.9% 2,214 127,264
2009 72.2% 1,978 121,811
2010 74.2% 2,624 115,733
2011 75.1% 2,591 109,189
2012 80.8% 2,277 101,676
2013 84.7% 4,211 98,273
2014 83.1% 3,859 87,505
2015 84.8% 3,165 78,512

What this means if you are buying a 2004 Ml

The 2004 is a weaker year for this model, passing 11.2 points less often than the Mercedes-Benz Ml average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2004 figure for all cars above rather than against newer examples. 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 22-year-old car fails on

A 2004 car is 22 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 high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2004 Mercedes-Benz Ml the average at test was 130,116 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 2015 at 84.8%, and the weakest in our data is 2000 at 64.2%. That 20.6 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2004 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Mercedes-Benz Ml MOT data · Every model