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

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

The Mercedes-Benz V passed on its first attempt in 87.2%, and its overall record sits +7.5 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mercedes-Benz V in the 2023–2025 data: 6,106 tests across 7 model years (2019–2025). 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 V MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

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

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mercedes-Benz V, each with how many of the model's 6,106 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 141 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 119 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 99 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 83 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 77 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 60 Mercedes-Benz V tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.

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

The strongest Mercedes-Benz V model year on record is 2025 (97.7% across 217 tests), and the weakest is 2019 (87.0%). The gap between them is 10.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mercedes-Benz V reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.2 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 V Owners

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

• 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 wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  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.

• the shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Mercedes-Benz V MOT & Reliability