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

Pass rate, every year

89.1% Above average

28,889 tests across 6 model years, 2016–2021.

+8.1 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Mercedes-Benz Slc really fares

89.1% of its MOTs pass — over 28,889 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT pass rate is 89.1%, +8.1 percentage points above the UK average. That is 28,889 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2016 and 2021. This page lists the most common Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

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

The Mercedes-Benz Slc passed on its first attempt in 87.9%, and its overall record sits +8.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz Slc in the 2023–2025 data: 28,889 tests across 6 model years (2016–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed28,889
Overall pass rate89.1%
Passed on first attempt87.9%
Average mileage at test27,297 mi
Model years covered2016–2021 (6 years)
Versus UK national average+8.1 pts above

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz Slc, 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 Est. recorded instances
Tyres 38% 1,140
Suspension 36% 1,099
Visibility 16% 489
Noise, emissions and leaks 6% 178
Brakes 2% 75
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 2% 57

Shares are over the Mercedes-Benz Slc's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Tyres

Around 38% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Slc 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" (1.8%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.4%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.7%) among the Mercedes-Benz Slc's tyres faults.

Suspension

Around 36% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Slc failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (1.2%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (0.9%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.7%) among the Mercedes-Benz Slc's suspension faults.

Visibility

Around 16% of the recorded Mercedes-Benz Slc failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.5%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.2%) among the Mercedes-Benz Slc's visibility faults.

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

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz Slc, each with how many of the model's 28,889 tests it was noted on.

  • "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 515 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 443 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 397 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 347 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 248 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 202 Mercedes-Benz Slc tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

What Slc fails on more than most

2 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Tyre has a bulge Tyres 2.0% 0.9% 2.2× £45–£95
Tyre cut too deep Tyres 5.2% 2.5% 2.1× £45–£95

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (28,889 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Slc records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

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

The strongest Mercedes-Benz Slc model year on record is 2021 (93.9% across 395 tests), and the weakest is 2016 (87.5%). The gap between them is 6.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz Slc reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2021 Slc 395 93.9% 93.5% 17,666 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2020 Slc 1,838 92.9% 92.4% 18,539 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2019 Slc 3,074 92.8% 92.2% 21,632 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2018 Slc 4,725 91.2% 90.4% 28,831 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2017 Slc 11,364 87.6% 85.9% 35,842 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2016 Slc 7,493 87.5% 85.9% 41,271 mi Coil spring fractured or broken

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mercedes-Benz Slc Owners

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

  • 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 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 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT & Reliability

What is the Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT pass rate?

89.1% of the 28,889 recorded Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT tests ended in a pass, +8.1 percentage points above the national average. 87.9% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Mercedes-Benz Slc model years pass the MOT most often?

2021 is the strongest Mercedes-Benz Slc year on record at 93.9%, while 2016 is the weakest at 87.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Mercedes-Benz Slc MOT failures?

The most recorded Mercedes-Benz Slc failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.