MOT fail rates by first-use year

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT fail rate and common faults

How Mercedes-Benz GLA cars first used in 2016 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 42,646 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 9 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 9 (n=10,621)22.6%

All cars at 9 years (n=9,949,012)27.1%

Difference−4.5 pts

MOT tests of 2016 cars, 2022 to 202542,646

What stands out

In 2025, at 9 years old, Mercedes-Benz GLA cars first used in 2016 failed 22.6% of MOTs (10,621 tests), 4.5 points below the 27.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 6 to 9 years old, the fail rate moved from 13.5% to 22.6%.
Mercedes-Benz GLA cars first used a year earlier, in 2015, failed 20.7% at the same age of 9 years (8,898 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Mercedes-Benz GLA at 9 years, is coil spring broken, at 3.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Mercedes-Benz GLA cars first used in 2016: 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	6 years	13.5%	10,708	17.8%	−4.3 pts
2023	7 years	17.2%	10,662	20.6%	−3.4 pts
2024	8 years	19.9%	10,655	23.8%	−3.9 pts
2025	9 years	22.6%	10,621	27.1%	−4.5 pts

Most common faults at 9 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz GLA MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2014 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,022). 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
Coil spring broken	3.9	2.7
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	2.8	0.4
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.1	2.5
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.7	2.0
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault	1.6	0.6
Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	1.4	0.2
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.3	1.3
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.1	1.3
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	1.1	0.8
Driveshaft CV boot split	1.1	1.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=23,022). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	16.5	16.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.9	9.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.7	8.3
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	8.0	8.5
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	4.6	2.7
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated	3.4	0.3
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	2.6	2.3
Suspension ball joint: slight play	2.5	1.2
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	2.4	2.1
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	2.2	1.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=23,022). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 9 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz GLA MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2014 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,022). 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
Diesel	87.7%	22.0%	20,201	28.3%	70,530 miles
Petrol	12.3%	15.1%	2,821	26.3%	55,630 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 9 years

These figures cover all Mercedes-Benz GLA MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2014 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,022). At 9 years, Mercedes-Benz GLA cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (27.8%, n=3,699) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (16.6%, n=7,160). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	16.6%	7,160	23.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	22.5%	10,280	29.4%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	27.8%	3,699	32.8%

Car tax rules for a 2016 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 from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
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 GLA

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Other Mercedes-Benz models first used in 2016

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Mercedes-Benz A-Class (2016)	9 years in 2025	24.6%	38,117	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2016)	9 years in 2025	19.5%	36,819	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2016)	9 years in 2025	18.9%	20,095	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz GLC (2016)	9 years in 2025	17.1%	9,123	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz CLA (2016)	9 years in 2025	24.3%	7,641	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz GLE (2016)	9 years in 2025	14.0%	5,346	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2016)	9 years in 2025	20.8%	5,383	27.1%
Mercedes-Benz Citan (2016)	9 years in 2025	41.6%	3,271	27.1%

More on the Mercedes-Benz GLA

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 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 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.