MOT Intelligence
Mercedes Benz MOT Failures & Common Issues
The components UK cars most commonly fail their MOT on, plus the known issues to watch for on a Mercedes Benz. Check any car's full MOT history free in seconds.
~76%
Avg Pass Rate (UK)
~1.4
Avg Failures/Test (UK)
~2.1
Avg Advisories (UK)
Most Common MOT Failure Categories
Typical across all UK cars — a useful guide to what to check first.
Lighting
31%
LOW
Tyres
22%
HIGH
Brakes
18%
HIGH
Suspension
14%
MEDIUM
Emissions
9%
MEDIUM
Steering
6%
HIGH
Common Issues — Mercedes Benz
Air suspension (Airmatic) compressor failureHIGH
£400–£900 · Common on air-suspended models
S / E / GLE / GLS / GL
Balance shaft / timing gear wear (M272/M273)HIGH
£1,500–£3,500 · Known issue on 2004–2008 V6/V8 petrol
Petrol2.9L+2004–2008
Balance shaft / timing chain wear (M271 petrol)HIGH
£1,000–£2,500 · Known on M271 1.8 Kompressor/CGI petrol
Petrol1.8L–1.9L2002–2011
Oil-cooler seal leak & swirl flaps (OM642 3.0 V6 diesel)HIGH
£800–£2,000 · Known on OM642 3.0 V6 diesels
Diesel2.9L–3.1L
Timing chain stretch (1.2 TCe / H5Ft petrol)HIGH
£600–£1,300 · Chain wear on the 1.2 turbo petrol (Clio/Captur/Kadjar & A-Class)
Petrol1.1L–1.3L2012–2019
AdBlue / DPF system faultsMEDIUM
£200–£700 · Common on post-2015 diesels
Diesel2015–now
7G-Tronic conductor plate / valve bodyMEDIUM
£400–£900 · Occasional on auto models
Auto / DSG
7G-Tronic conductor plate failure (auto)MEDIUM
£400–£900 · On 7G-Tronic automatics
Auto / DSG
Injector / timing chain faults (OM651 diesel)MEDIUM
£400–£1,500 · On OM651 2.1 CDI diesels
Diesel2.0L–2.2L
Camshaft adjuster / timing (M276 V6 petrol)MEDIUM
£600–£1,500 · On M276 3.0/3.5 V6 petrol
Petrol2.9L–3.6L
Bodywork & wheel-arch corrosion (mid-2000s models)MEDIUM
£300–£1,200 · Known on 2002–2009 C/E/CLK from a poor-paint era
–2009
Based on commonly reported faults for this make/model. Individual vehicles vary — run a check for the full MOT and mileage history of a specific car.
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Check all lights are operational before the test drive
Inspect tyre tread depth on all four corners
Test brake pedal feel and stopping performance
Listen for suspension knocks over speed bumps
Request the full MOT history from the seller (or run a free check here)
Check a Specific Mercedes Benz
Enter a registration to get the full MOT history, mileage check and risk analysis for any Mercedes Benz.
Check MOT History