Pass rate
84.5%
Around average — 7.3 pts ahead of the 77.2% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 200 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £37–£98
2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class MOT pass rate
- 2012
- typical 72,260 mi
Most common fault
Brakes
31.9% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Part only £25–£55 for Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded. What fitting it takes →
Which year to buy
- Best 2020 96.2% pass
- Avoid 2015 83.5% pass
Across the 10 years on record, a spread of 12.7 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 81.9%
- Typical mileage
- 72k mi
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class MOT pass rate is 84.5% of its MOT tests — 7.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 31.9% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz G-Class does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 3.2× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 17.4% of everything recorded on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, against 5.5% nationally — 11.9 points above. Brakes are still the single largest share at 31.9%, but at 20.9% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- 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 77.2% and this one manages 84.5% — 7.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Based on a small sample. 200 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-Class? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 77.2%, so this figure is 7.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 81.9%. The median 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class in this dataset had covered 72,260 mi.
61% of the tests on this vehicle ran on Diesel, which passed 79.5% of the time. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 87.4% of the time, April–September 80.9%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction", noted on 4.00% of tests.
- 200 recorded tests behind this page.
- 84.5% overall pass rate, 81.9% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the average is 87.9% — best year 2020 (96.2%), worst 2015 (83.5%).
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
- 200
- Typical mileage (median)
- 72,260 mi
- Make and model
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Indicator Bulb
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the G-Class MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 62% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (61% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the G-Class
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 62 | 91.9% |
| South West | 23 | 87.0% |
| East of England | 21 | 81.0% |
| London | 19 | 84.2% |
| Yorkshire | 19 | 84.2% |
| East Midlands | 17 | 70.6% |
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 2012 G-Class
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 2012 G-Class
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 4.0% of tests
“malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”
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 brake pipes 3.5% of tests
“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.
-
Check leaks 2.0% of tests
“steering box leaking oil”
Park on clean cardboard overnight. A few drips are an advisory; a steady patch under the engine, gearbox or a shock absorber is a fail. Have the source identified before the test rather than after.
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 2012 G-Class through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £37–£98 — and 43% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £37–£98
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: steering box leaking oil
- £60–£200
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 60%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 43%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 200 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-Class, side by side
10 model years on record, from 2011 to 2020. Across them the pass rate runs from 83.5% to 96.2% — a spread of 12.7 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2011 88.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2012 84.5%malfunction indicator lamp…
- 2013 89.8% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2014 86.6% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2015 83.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 88.1% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2017 87.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 90.0% has a cut in excess of the…
- 2019 90.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 96.2% door condition cannot be opened…
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 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 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 2012 cars with a similar record
- Audi A6 84.5%
- MINI COOPER 84.6%
- Skoda Citigo 84.3%
- Honda Insight 84.7%
- Honda Cr-V 84.2%
- Jaguar Xj 84.2%
Closest pass rates among 2012 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 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 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 211 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 | 68 | 31.90% | 20.89% | +11.01 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 37 | 17.40% | 5.52% | +11.88 |
| Tyres | 29 | 13.60% | 19.76% | −6.16 |
| Steering | 23 | 10.80% | 2.57% | +8.23 |
| Suspension | 21 | 9.90% | 20.98% | −11.08 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 20 | 9.40% | 12.21% | −2.81 |
| Visibility | 5 | 2.30% | 4.97% | −2.67 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3 | 1.40% | 0.82% | +0.58 |
| Road Wheels | 3 | 1.40% | 0.75% | +0.65 |
| Non-component advisories | 2 | 0.90% | 4.18% | −3.28 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.0% | £3–12 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Major | 3.5% | £80–180 |
| Steering box leaking oil Steering | Minor | 2.0% | £60–200 |
| Srs malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Major | 1.5% | £3–12 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 1.5% | £80–200 |
| Brake performance not tested unable to be tested Brakes | Major | 1.0% | £60–150 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 1.0% | £25–65 |
| Flexible brake hoses slightly chafed Brakes | Minor | 1.0% | £25–70 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Rectified | 1.0% | £3–12 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.0% | £5–25 |
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 | 13.0% | £45–110 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 12.0% | £200–700 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 6.5% | £18–45 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 5.0% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 4.0% | £40–150 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 4.0% | £80–180 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 26 | 88.5% | 11,590 mi |
| 30-60k | 49 | 91.8% | 44,501 mi |
| 60-90k | 66 | 86.4% | 76,420 mi |
| 90-120k | 44 | 70.5% | 104,807 mi |
| 120k+ | 14 | 85.7% | 129,096 mi |
Source: 200 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.
2012 G-Class MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class?
84.5% of the 200 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 77.2% for cars first used in 2012. First-attempt pass rate: 81.9%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class?
The three most recorded items are malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (4.00%), rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (3.50%), steering box leaking oil (2.00%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 88.5% of the time, falling to 85.7% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class in this dataset had covered 72,260 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class?
Diesel: 79.5% pass rate across 122 tests. Petrol: 92.3% pass rate across 78 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 87.4% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 80.9%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.