Pass rate
77.9%
Around average — 3.9 pts ahead of the 74.0% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 68 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £10–£36
2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 MOT pass rate
- 2009
- 2 trims combined
- typical 62,781 mi
Only 68 tests of this exact model and year are in the DVSA data, below the 100 we ask for before a page goes in the index. The figures are still shown, because they are the only ones there are.
Most common fault
Brakes
33.5% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Which year to buy
- Best 2013 89.0% pass
- Avoid 2010 76.8% pass
Across the 7 years on record, a spread of 12.2 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 75.0%
- Typical mileage
- 63k mi
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 MOT pass rate is 77.9% of its MOT tests — 3.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 33.5% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz A180 does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Brakes: 1.6× the national share
Brakes make up 33.5% of everything recorded on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180, against 20.9% nationally — 12.6 points above. Have the discs and pads measured rather than glanced at, and ask whether the handbrake holds on a slope.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 74.0% and this one manages 77.9% — 3.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Failures here tend to be cheap ones. 57% of the repairs this model fails on cost under £30 in parts. The pass rate matters less than what a bad afternoon at the test centre actually costs you.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Mercedes-Benz A180? Get an email when these numbers change .
Every Mercedes-Benz A180 first registered in 2009 is combined here — 2 trim and body variants in total — so the sample is as large as the DVSA data allows.
How does the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 74.0%, so this figure is 3.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 75.0%. The median 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 in this dataset had covered 62,781 mi.
81% of the tests on this vehicle ran on Petrol, which passed 80.0% of the time. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 72.7% of the time, April–September 82.9%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 7.35% of tests.
- 68 recorded tests behind this page.
- 77.9% overall pass rate, 75.0% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Mercedes-Benz A180, the average is 82.9% — best year 2013 (89.0%), worst 2010 (76.8%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 68
- Typical mileage (median)
- 62,781 mi
- Make and model
- Mercedes-Benz A180
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Number Plate Lamp
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the A180 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 53% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (81% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the A180
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 30 | 83.3% |
| London | 17 | 82.4% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2009 A180
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2009 A180
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 7.3% of tests
“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.
-
Check the suspension joints 5.9% of tests
“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.
-
Check the wipers and washers 4.4% of tests
“washers not working”
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.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2009 A180 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £10–£36 — and 57% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £10–£36
- Cheapest common item: mirrors slightly loose
- £3–£15
- Dearest common item: mirrors does not provide a view to the rear
- £20–£80
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 100%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 57%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 68 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the A180, side by side
7 model years on record, from 2009 to 2016. Across them the pass rate runs from 76.8% to 89.0% — a spread of 12.2 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2009 77.9%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2010 76.8% headlamp aim projected beam image…
- 2011 77.3% malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2013 89.0% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2014 86.0% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2015 88.9% stop lamp not working
- 2016 83.6% coil spring fractured or broken
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2009 cars with a similar record
- Land Rover Defender 77.9%
- Toyota Rav-4 77.9%
- Saab 9-5 77.9%
- Audi Q5 78.0%
- Nissan Pixo 78.0%
- Honda Accord 77.8%
Closest pass rates among 2009 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 167 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 56 | 33.50% | 20.89% | +12.61 |
| Tyres | 27 | 16.20% | 19.76% | −3.56 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 24 | 14.40% | 12.21% | +2.19 |
| Visibility | 18 | 10.80% | 4.97% | +5.83 |
| Suspension | 17 | 10.20% | 20.98% | −10.78 |
| Non-component advisories | 12 | 7.20% | 4.18% | +3.02 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 7 | 4.20% | 1.76% | +2.44 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3 | 1.80% | 5.57% | −3.77 |
| Road Wheels | 2 | 1.20% | 0.75% | +0.45 |
| Steering | 1 | 0.60% | 2.57% | −1.97 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 7.3% | £5–20 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 5.9% | £18–45 |
| Mirrors slightly loose Visibility | Minor | 5.9% | £3–15 |
| Washers not working Visibility | Major | 4.4% | £5–15 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 2.9% | £18–45 |
| Mirrors does not provide a view to the rear Visibility | Major | 2.9% | £20–80 |
| Mirrors seriously damaged, affecting the rear view Visibility | Major | 2.9% | £20–80 |
| Registration plates inscription illegible Identification of the vehicle | Major | 2.9% | £20–80 |
| Side repeaters lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.9% | £3–15 |
| Side repeaters with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.9% | £3–15 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 26.5% | £80–180 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 20.6% | £45–110 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 19.1% | £45–95 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 13.2% | £18–45 |
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes | Advisory | 10.3% | £25–70 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 10.3% | £45–95 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3 | 100.0% | 23,861 mi |
| 30-60k | 20 | 80.0% | 48,507 mi |
| 60-90k | 32 | 81.3% | 69,633 mi |
| 90-120k | 13 | 61.5% | 101,511 mi |
Source: 68 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2009 A180 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180?
77.9% of the 68 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 74.0% for cars first used in 2009. First-attempt pass rate: 75.0%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (7.35%), ball joint excessively worn (5.88%), mirrors slightly loose (5.88%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 61.5% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 in this dataset had covered 62,781 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180?
Petrol: 80.0% pass rate across 55 tests. Diesel: 69.2% pass rate across 13 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2009 Mercedes-Benz A180 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 72.7% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 82.9%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.