Mercedes-Benz A160 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mercedes-Benz A160 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mercedes-Benz A160 passed on its first attempt in 72.1%, and its overall record sits −3.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz A160 in the 2023–2025 data: 892 tests across 4 model years (2009–2012). 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 A160 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz A160, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 A160's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mercedes-Benz A160 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz A160, each with how many of the model's 892 tests it was noted on.

• "Side repeaters not working" (Major) — noted on about 34 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 29 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 26 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 21 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 20 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 17 Mercedes-Benz A160 tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mercedes-Benz A160 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mercedes-Benz A160 model year on record is 2012 (80.8% across 291 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (75.5%). The gap between them is 5.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz A160 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 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 A160 Owners

These checks follow this Mercedes-Benz A160's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mercedes-Benz A160.

• 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 lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mercedes-Benz A160. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz A160 MOT & Reliability