Pass rate
86.8%
Above average — 10.9 pts ahead of the 75.9% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 121 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £28–£77
2011 Mercedes-Benz G MOT pass rate
- 2011
- 2 trims combined
- typical 87,062 mi
Most common fault
Brakes
31.2% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Part only £25–£40 for Brake pads under 1.5 mm. What fitting it takes →
Which year to buy
- Best 2021 92.6% pass
- Avoid 2012 83.4% pass
Across the 4 years on record, a spread of 9.2 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 85.6%
- Typical mileage
- 87k mi
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz G MOT pass rate is 86.8% of its MOT tests — 10.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 31.2% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz G does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Brakes: 1.5× the national share
Brakes make up 31.2% of everything recorded on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz G, against 20.9% nationally — 10.3 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 75.9% and this one manages 86.8% — 10.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Based on a small sample. 121 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
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 G? Get an email when these numbers change .
Every Mercedes-Benz G first registered in 2011 is combined here — 2 trim and body variants in total — so the sample is as large as the DVSA data allows.
How does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz G compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 75.9%, so this figure is 10.9 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 85.6%. The median 2011 Mercedes-Benz G in this dataset had covered 87,062 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 87.5% of the time, April–September 86.4%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 4.96% of tests.
- 121 recorded tests behind this page.
- 86.8% overall pass rate, 85.6% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Mercedes-Benz G, the average is 89.8% — best year 2021 (92.6%), worst 2012 (83.4%).
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
- 121
- Typical mileage (median)
- 87,062 mi
- Make and model
- Mercedes-Benz G
- 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 G MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 72% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the G
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 28 | 96.4% |
| North West | 15 | 80.0% |
| South West | 15 | 80.0% |
| West Midlands | 15 | 80.0% |
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 2011 G
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 2011 G
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 5.0% 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 windscreen 3.3% of tests
“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.
-
Check the brakes 1.6% of tests
“brake discs significantly and obviously worn”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
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 2011 G through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £28–£77 — and 48% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £28–£77
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: joints constant velocity boot severely…
- £80–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 80%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 48%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 121 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 G, side by side
4 model years on record, from 2011 to 2022. Across them the pass rate runs from 83.4% to 92.6% — a spread of 9.2 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2011 86.8%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2012 83.4% rigid brake pipes excessively…
- 2021 92.6% has a cut in excess of the…
- 2022 91.1% has a cut in excess of the…
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 2011 Mercedes-Benz G 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 2011 cars with a similar record
- Porsche Cayenne 86.8%
- Lexus IS250 86.8%
- Honda Fit 86.9%
- Jaguar Xkr 86.4%
- Lexus Ct 85.8%
- BMW Z4 85.8%
Closest pass rates among 2011 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz G 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 187 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 | 59 | 31.20% | 20.89% | +10.31 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 27 | 14.30% | 12.21% | +2.09 |
| Suspension | 23 | 12.20% | 20.98% | −8.78 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 22 | 11.60% | 5.52% | +6.08 |
| Tyres | 21 | 11.10% | 19.76% | −8.66 |
| Steering | 16 | 8.50% | 2.57% | +5.93 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8 | 4.20% | 5.57% | −1.37 |
| Visibility | 5 | 2.60% | 4.97% | −2.37 |
| Non-component advisories | 4 | 2.10% | 4.18% | −2.08 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2 | 1.10% | 1.76% | −0.66 |
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 | 5.0% | £5–20 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 3.3% | £80–200 |
| Side repeaters lens defective which has no effect on emitted light Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.5% | £3–15 |
| Brake discs significantly and obviously worn Brakes | Major | 1.6% | £45–110 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Major | 1.6% | £18–45 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 1.6% | £25–65 |
| Drag link end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | Major | 1.6% | £18–45 |
| Headlamp cleaning device for LED or HID headlamp inoperative Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.6% | £5–25 |
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 1.6% | £80–250 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.6% | £3–12 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 14.9% | £45–110 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 14.9% | £80–180 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 11.6% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 11.6% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 5.8% | £40–150 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 4.1% | £18–45 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1 | 100.0% | 1,098 mi |
| 30-60k | 35 | 80.0% | 48,474 mi |
| 60-90k | 28 | 96.4% | 75,809 mi |
| 90-120k | 27 | 81.5% | 107,550 mi |
| 120k+ | 30 | 90.0% | 135,604 mi |
Source: 121 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.
2011 G MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2011 Mercedes-Benz G?
86.8% of the 121 2011 Mercedes-Benz G tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 75.9% for cars first used in 2011. First-attempt pass rate: 85.6%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2011 Mercedes-Benz G?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.96%), windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.31%), side repeaters lens defective which has no effect on emitted light (2.48%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2011 Mercedes-Benz G MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 90.0% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2011 Mercedes-Benz G in this dataset had covered 87,062 mi.
Does the season affect the 2011 Mercedes-Benz G MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 87.5% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 86.4%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.