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

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

The Mercedes-Benz Sls passed on its first attempt in 94.7%, and its overall record sits +13.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz Sls in the 2023–2025 data: 1,019 tests across 5 model years (2010–2014). 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 Sls MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mercedes-Benz Sls, the Visibility 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 Sls's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

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

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz Sls, each with how many of the model's 1,019 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 16 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 9 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 6 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements" (Major) — noted on about 4 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 0.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers not working" (Major) — noted on about 4 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 0.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 4 Mercedes-Benz Sls tests, 0.4% of the model's MOT record.

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

The strongest Mercedes-Benz Sls model year on record is 2014 (98.1% across 52 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (93.0%). The gap between them is 5.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz Sls reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 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 Sls Owners

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

• 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 — “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.

• the number plates — “registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements”

  Check both plates are present, legible and correctly spaced, with the postcode of the supplier and the BS AU 145e mark. A private plate in the wrong style is a fail before the car is even looked at.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz Sls MOT & Reliability