MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT fail rate and common faults

How Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 21,777 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=5,224)33.1%

All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%

Difference−5.2 pts

MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 202521,777

What stands out

In 2025, at 13 years old, Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars first used in 2012 failed 33.1% of MOTs (5,224 tests), 5.2 points below the 38.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 27.2% to 33.1%.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 34.1% at the same age of 13 years (5,582 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class at 13 years, is coil spring broken, at 3.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars first used in 2012: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	10 years	27.2%	5,614	30.3%	−3.1 pts
2023	11 years	30.6%	5,553	33.3%	−2.6 pts
2024	12 years	32.7%	5,386	36.0%	−3.3 pts
2025	13 years	33.1%	5,224	38.3%	−5.2 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=25,200). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Side repeaters: not working Wear	3.9	0.6
Coil spring broken	3.9	4.1
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	3.5	0.9
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	3.0	2.0
Suspension ball joint worn	2.8	2.5
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	2.6	1.8
Shock absorber leaking	2.3	1.5
Driveshaft CV boot split	2.2	2.0
Horn: not working Wear	2.1	0.4
Dipped headlight not working Wear	2.0	2.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=25,200). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	18.9	5.1
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	14.6	18.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	12.1	9.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	10.2	10.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.5	7.3
Shock absorber misting oil	4.6	4.0
Coil spring: corroded	3.0	5.6
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	2.9	2.1
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	2.9	5.2
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	2.7	3.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=25,200). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=25,200). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	65.2%	33.3%	16,436	37.7%	66,421 miles
Diesel	34.8%	35.8%	8,762	39.1%	80,744 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=25,200). At 13 years, Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (46.7%, n=1,652) than those at under 30,000 miles (16.1%, n=1,286). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	16.1%	1,286	18.6%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	28.0%	7,482	29.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	35.0%	9,255	38.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	42.3%	4,911	42.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	46.7%	1,652	43.2%

Car tax rules for a 2012 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class

2011 Mercedes-Benz A-Class 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Other Mercedes-Benz models first used in 2012

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2012)	13 years in 2025	32.3%	25,938	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.8%	13,845	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.6%	5,785	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz SLK (2012)	13 years in 2025	26.2%	5,527	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz M-Class (2012)	13 years in 2025	23.3%	2,532	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2012)	13 years in 2025	19.5%	1,162	38.3%
Mercedes-Benz CLS (2012)	13 years in 2025	26.2%	1,081	38.3%

More on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.