Pass rate, every year
8,694 tests across 7 model years, 2016–2022.
+8.6 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
8,694 tests across 7 model years, 2016–2022.
+8.6 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2017 90.7%
The strongest of the 7 years on record. See the 2017 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 87.9%
2.8 points below the 2017 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Mercedes-Benz Gls MOT pass rate is 89.6%, +8.6 percentage points above the UK average. That is 8,694 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2016 and 2022. This page lists the most common Mercedes-Benz Gls MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz Gls MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Mercedes-Benz Gls passed on its first attempt in 88.5%, and its overall record sits +8.6 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz Gls in the 2023–2025 data: 8,694 tests across 7 model years (2016–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 8,694 |
| Overall pass rate | 89.6% |
| Passed on first attempt | 88.5% |
| Average mileage at test | 50,386 mi |
| Model years covered | 2016–2022 (7 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +8.6 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz Gls, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 38% |
| Visibility | 26% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 22% |
| Brakes | 5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2% |
| Suspension | 2% |
Shares are over the Mercedes-Benz Gls's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 38% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Gls failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (2.2%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.6%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.5%) among the Mercedes-Benz Gls's tyres faults.
Around 26% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Gls failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (3.0%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.6%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.1%) among the Mercedes-Benz Gls's visibility faults.
Around 22% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Gls failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (2.6%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.5%) among the Mercedes-Benz Gls's body, chassis, structure faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz Gls, each with how many of the model's 8,694 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Mercedes-Benz Gls model year on record is 2017 (90.7% across 1,982 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (87.9%). The gap between them is 2.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Gls | 373 | 87.9% |
| 2021 Gls | 626 | 87.9% |
| 2020 Gls | 1,314 | 89.0% |
| 2019 Gls | 1,287 | 90.6% |
| 2018 Gls | 1,841 | 88.9% |
| 2017 Gls | 1,982 | 90.7% |
| 2016 Gls | 1,271 | 89.6% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Mercedes-Benz Gls's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mercedes-Benz Gls.
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 tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
the wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”
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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mercedes-Benz Gls. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
89.6% of the 8,694 recorded Mercedes-Benz Gls MOT tests ended in a pass, +8.6 percentage points above the national average. 88.5% of those passed on the first attempt.
2017 is the strongest Mercedes-Benz Gls year on record at 90.7%, while 2021 is the weakest at 87.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Mercedes-Benz Gls failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" — together around 6% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.