MOT fail rates

Mercedes-Benz Clc MOT fail rate by age

How often the Mercedes-Benz Clc fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 35,024 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 22 September 2026

At 14 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 14 (n=9,253)43.5%

All cars at 14 years (n=6,054,526)40.3%

Median mileage at test94,922

All cars, median mileage96,840

190 of 280 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 14 years.

What stands out

At 12 years the Mercedes-Benz Clc fails 41.4% of MOTs (3,326 tests), 5.4 points above the 36.0% for all cars that age. At 17 years it fails 42.6% (2,039 tests), about the same as the 43.1% average.
The gap is widest at 13 years: 5.9 points above all cars.
Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 14 years: Suspension ball joint worn, at 12.9 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

Mercedes-Benz Clc: share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference	Median mileage
12 years	41.4%	3,326	36.0%	+5.4 pts	81,974 miles
13 years	44.1%	6,972	38.3%	+5.9 pts	89,314 miles
14 years	43.5%	9,253	40.3%	+3.2 pts	94,922 miles
15 years	45.1%	8,164	41.6%	+3.5 pts	99,785 miles
16 years	45.1%	5,270	42.6%	+2.6 pts	104,137 miles
17 years	42.6%	2,039	43.1%	−0.5 pts	107,941 miles

Most common fail items at 14 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Suspension ball joint worn Major	12.9
Coil spring broken Major	10.2
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Major	4.6
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Major	4.1
Steering track rod end: ball joint play Major	3.2
Handbrake too weak Major	3

Out of 9,253 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous	6.5
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Major	3.8
Side/position light not working Major	3.6
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Major	3.3

Out of 9,253 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 14 years

Model	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	34.3%	66,178	40.3%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class	30.4%	37,094	40.3%
Mercedes-Benz A-Class	36.4%	27,065	40.3%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated 28 September 2026.

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First used	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
2008	17 years in 2025	42.5%	2,025	43.1%
2009	16 years in 2025	44.7%	3,062	42.6%
2010	15 years in 2025	45.0%	2,396	41.6%

More on the Mercedes-Benz Clc

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.

Looking at one Mercedes-Benz Clc?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the 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 22 September 2026.

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