Pass rate, every year
90.3% Above average
70,061 tests across 16 model years, 2005–2023.
+9.3 pts vs the national average
Mercedes-Benz A MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2023 95.5%
The strongest of the 16 years on record. See the 2023 page →
Worst year to buy
2008 72.0%
23.5 points below the 2023 peak. See the 2008 page →
The Mercedes-Benz A MOT pass rate is 90.3%, +9.3 percentage points above the UK average. That is 70,061 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2005 and 2023. This page lists the most common Mercedes-Benz A MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz A MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
Mercedes-Benz A MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Mercedes-Benz A passed on its first attempt in 89.3%, and its overall record sits +9.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz A in the 2023–2025 data: 70,061 tests across 16 model years (2005–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 70,061 |
| Overall pass rate | 90.3% |
| Passed on first attempt | 89.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 65,680 mi |
| Model years covered | 2005–2023 (16 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +9.3 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Mercedes-Benz A MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz A, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 38% |
| Visibility | 34% |
| Suspension | 13% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3% |
| Brakes | 2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 2% |
Shares are over the Mercedes-Benz A's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Tyres
Around 38% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz A failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (2.2%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.0%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.9%) among the Mercedes-Benz A's tyres faults.
Visibility
Around 34% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz A failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.2%), "Wipers blade defective" (1.2%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.7%) among the Mercedes-Benz A's visibility faults.
Suspension
Around 13% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz A failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.4%), "Coil spring fractured or broken" (0.4%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.4%) among the Mercedes-Benz A's suspension faults.
Top Recorded Mercedes-Benz A DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz A, each with how many of the model's 70,061 tests it was noted on.
- "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 1,572 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,553 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 837 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 732 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 658 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 498 Mercedes-Benz A tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
What A fails on more than most
1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyre cut too deep | 5.0% | 2.5% | 2.0× | £45–£95 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (70,061 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items A records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Mercedes-Benz A Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Mercedes-Benz A model year on record is 2023 (95.5% across 289 tests), and the weakest is 2008 (72.0%). The gap between them is 23.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Mercedes-Benz A reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 A | 289 | 95.5% |
| 2022 A | 14,113 | 92.7% |
| 2021 A | 25,433 | 91.8% |
| 2020 A | 21,464 | 91.1% |
| 2019 A | 824 | 89.9% |
| 2018 A | 166 | 87.3% |
| 2017 A | 89 | 88.8% |
| 2016 A | 99 | 86.9% |
| 2015 A | 85 | 83.5% |
| 2014 A | 1,774 | 79.0% |
| 2013 A | 4,284 | 78.9% |
| 2012 A | 199 | 79.9% |
| 2008 A | 93 | 72.0% |
| 2007 A | 222 | 75.7% |
| 2006 A | 523 | 74.6% |
| 2005 A | 404 | 77.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mercedes-Benz A Owners
These checks follow this Mercedes-Benz A's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mercedes-Benz A.
-
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.
-
the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
-
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mercedes-Benz A. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz A MOT & Reliability
What is the Mercedes-Benz A MOT pass rate?
90.3% of the 70,061 recorded Mercedes-Benz A MOT tests ended in a pass, +9.3 percentage points above the national average. 89.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Mercedes-Benz A model years pass the MOT most often?
2023 is the strongest Mercedes-Benz A year on record at 95.5%, while 2008 is the weakest at 72.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Mercedes-Benz A MOT failures?
The most recorded Mercedes-Benz A failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.