Mercedes-Benz 220 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mercedes-Benz 220 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mercedes-Benz 220 passed on its first attempt in 74.2%, and its overall record sits −2.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz 220 in the 2023–2025 data: 2,231 tests across 15 model years (2005–2019). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Mercedes-Benz 220 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz 220, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Mercedes-Benz 220's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mercedes-Benz 220 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz 220, each with how many of the model's 2,231 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 86 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 74 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 56 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 52 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 40 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 37 Mercedes-Benz 220 tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mercedes-Benz 220 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mercedes-Benz 220 model year on record is 2019 (96.5% across 57 tests), and the weakest is 2013 (70.0%). The gap between them is 26.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz 220 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.6 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mercedes-Benz 220 Owners

These checks follow this Mercedes-Benz 220's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mercedes-Benz 220.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mercedes-Benz 220. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz 220 MOT & Reliability