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

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

The Mercedes-Benz Ml passed on its first attempt in 77.2%, and its overall record sits −0.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz Ml in the 2023–2025 data: 115,408 tests across 16 model years (2000–2015). 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 Ml MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

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

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz Ml, each with how many of the model's 115,408 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 5,495 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 4,676 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 4,032 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,768 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,787 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 1,737 Mercedes-Benz Ml tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

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

The strongest Mercedes-Benz Ml model year on record is 2015 (87.4% across 10,685 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (72.3%). The gap between them is 15.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz Ml reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.9 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 Ml Owners

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

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• 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 lights — “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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz Ml MOT & Reliability