Mercedes-Benz V: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mercedes-Benz V passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 5.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 10,832 individual Mercedes-Benz V tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 82.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 18 in every 100 Mercedes-Benz Vs 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 V tested had covered 102,175 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. The Mercedes-Benz V sits 5.6 points above the national average, ranked 1,363 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 V 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 Vs at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mercedes-Benz V

1. Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value, 1% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.7% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.3% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 0.7% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.2% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.9% of tests
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.7% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.8% of tests
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.7% of tests
10. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.8% of tests

From 10,957 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz V tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.06% of these flagged Mercedes-Benz V 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 V

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 V before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 5.7% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 26.2% of tests, also fails
3. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.7% of tests
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.8% of tests, also fails
5. A tyre seriously damaged, 4.7% of tests, also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.6% of tests, also fails
7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 3.7% of tests, also fails
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.4% of tests
9. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 1.4% of tests
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.1% of tests

From 10,957 DVSA-tracked Mercedes-Benz V tests, 2024.

Mercedes-Benz V pass rate by model year

From its 2015 to its 2019 model year, the Mercedes-Benz V's first-time pass rate has risen 5.6 points, from 81.4% to 87%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Mercedes-Benz V year:

• 2015 Mercedes-Benz V - 81.4% first-time pass, 919 tests
• 2016 Mercedes-Benz V - 83.4% first-time pass, 1,505 tests
• 2017 Mercedes-Benz V - 82.9% first-time pass, 2,267 tests
• 2018 Mercedes-Benz V - 83.4% first-time pass, 2,490 tests
• 2019 Mercedes-Benz V - 87% first-time pass, 2,543 tests
• 2020 Mercedes-Benz V - 83.2% first-time pass, 285 tests

Mercedes-Benz V by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number.

• Diesel Mercedes-Benz V - 83.6% first-time pass, 10,627 tests
• Petrol Mercedes-Benz V - 62.2% first-time pass, 225 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

• Volkswagen Tiguan - 82.4%
• BMW X3 - 82.3%
• Abarth 595 - 82.3%
• Mercedes-Benz X - 82.3%
• Peugeot Partner Professional Prem Bhdi - 82.3%
• Lexus Sc430 - 82.3%

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