Mercedes-Benz C250 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mercedes-Benz C250 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mercedes-Benz C250 passed on its first attempt in 74.2%, and its overall record sits −1.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz C250 in the 2023–2025 data: 362 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 C250 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz C250, 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 C250's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mercedes-Benz C250 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz C250, each with how many of the model's 362 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 24 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 6.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 20 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 5.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 11 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 10 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 10 Mercedes-Benz C250 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mercedes-Benz C250 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mercedes-Benz C250 model year on record is 2010 (83.9% across 62 tests), and the weakest is 2009 (74.7%). The gap between them is 9.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz C250 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 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 C250 Owners

These checks follow this Mercedes-Benz C250's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mercedes-Benz C250.

• 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 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 brake pipes — “rigid brake pipes excessively corroded”

  Brake pipes run under the car, usually in front of the rear wheels. Flaking or crusty metal is what fails; a light dusting of surface rust does not. Worth asking a garage to look while it is on a ramp.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mercedes-Benz C250. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz C250 MOT & Reliability