MOT fail rates by first-use year

2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK MOT fail rate and common faults

How Mercedes-Benz CLK cars first used in 2000 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2024, against all cars of the same age. From 4,086 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 24 years, tested in 2024

MOT fail rate at age 24 (n=1,058)27.0%

All cars at 24 years (n=428,815)37.8%

Difference−10.8 pts

MOT tests of 2000 cars, 2022 to 20244,086

What stands out

In 2024, at 24 years old, Mercedes-Benz CLK cars first used in 2000 failed 27.0% of MOTs (1,058 tests), 10.8 points below the 37.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2024, as these cars went from 22 to 24 years old, the fail rate moved from 31.0% to 27.0%.
Mercedes-Benz CLK cars first used a year earlier, in 1999, failed 32.9% at the same age of 24 years (1,032 tests, in 2023).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Mercedes-Benz CLK at 24 years, is rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 2.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.0).

MOT fail rate by test year

Mercedes-Benz CLK cars first used in 2000: 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	22 years	31.0%	1,659	41.0%	−9.9 pts
2023	23 years	32.4%	1,369	39.6%	−7.2 pts
2024	24 years	27.0%	1,058	37.8%	−10.8 pts

Most common faults at 24 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz CLK MOTs at 24 years: cars first used 1998 to 2001, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=3,553). 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
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	3.8	2.2
Side/position light not working Wear	3.2	3.8
Brake light not working Wear	2.3	2.9
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	2.3	2.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.1	3.3
Coil spring broken	1.9	1.5
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault	1.9	1.1
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Wear	1.9	0.8
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits	1.8	2.2
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	1.7	1.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=3,553). 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	20.6	14.7
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	15.0	11.2
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	10.8	15.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.9	9.2
Wheel bearings: has slight play	9.5	3.5
Coil spring: corroded	8.9	7.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	8.2	9.8
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.0	4.2
Flexible brake hoses: slightly deteriorated	5.7	2.6
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	5.4	3.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=3,553). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 24 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz CLK MOTs at 24 years: cars first used 1998 to 2001, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=3,553). 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	100.0%	30.2%	3,537	37.0%	99,908 miles

Car tax rules for a 2000 car

Cars first registered before 1 March 2001 are taxed by engine size: one annual rate for engines up to 1,549cc and a higher rate above that.

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

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered before 2001 usually do not meet Euro 4, so they usually pay the ULEZ daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2000 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 CLK

1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK

Other Mercedes-Benz models first used in 2000

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Mercedes-Benz SLK (2000)	25 years in 2025	30.2%	1,525	36.3%

More on the Mercedes-Benz CLK

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 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK 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.