2008 Mercedes-Benz Viano: MOT pass rate and reliability

69.3% of 2008 Mercedes-Benz Vianos pass the MOT first time, measured across 486 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 161,362 miles.

How the 2008 compares

  • Against all Mercedes-Benz Vianos (71.3%, 5,395 tests): -2 points
  • Against all 2008 cars (64.7%): +4.6 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Mercedes-Benz Viano model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2008 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mercedes-Benz Viano:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2004 70.6% 269 115,657
2005 65.9% 384 141,298
2006 65% 374 151,406
2007 69.9% 459 157,055
2008 69.3% 486 161,362
2009 69.1% 431 162,852
2010 75.6% 434 162,505
2011 71.6% 497 158,354
2012 71.7% 580 152,908
2013 73.1% 662 140,413
2014 76.2% 661 137,538

What this means if you are buying a 2008 Viano

The 2008 is a weaker year for this model, passing 2 points less often than the Mercedes-Benz Viano average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2008 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 an 18-year-old car fails on

A 2008 car is 18 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 very high mileage. Clutches, dual-mass flywheels and head gaskets have usually been through at least one repair by this point, so ask for evidence rather than assume the car is original everywhere. On a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Viano the average at test was 161,362 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 2014 at 76.2%, and the weakest in our data is 2006 at 65%. That 11.2 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2008 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Mercedes-Benz Viano MOT data · Every model