359,142 A-Classes had an MOT in 2025. 78.5% passed first time, against 77.0% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 1.5 points better than comparable cars. Those registered from 2018 onwards pass more often than other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often A-Classes of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 59.9% | −0.1 | 2,410 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 57.4% | −1.1 | 3,700 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 57.6% | −1.2 | 5,275 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 57.9% | −0.7 | 6,075 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 59.5% | −0.3 | 6,422 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 62.3% | +0.4 | 5,791 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 66.1% | +1.6 | 5,182 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 66.8% | +0.7 | 5,083 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 68.6% | +4.1 | 15,490 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 69.4% | +2.3 | 23,197 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 72.0% | +1.3 | 26,521 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 75.3% | +1.3 | 37,948 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 77.9% | +0.2 | 40,670 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 82.5% | +1.8 | 41,267 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 85.3% | +2.0 | 51,152 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 87.5% | +1.6 | 35,507 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 89.7% | +2.5 | 29,635 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 90.7% | +2.1 | 17,817 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
1.6% of A-Class MOTs failed on seat belts and supplementary restraint systems, against 0.6% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 6.9% on tyres, against 6.1%.
Against cars of the same age and mileage, in points: Under 30k: +1.6, 30–60k: +1.6, 60–90k: +2.1, 90–120k: +0.8, 120k+: −0.1.
Diesels passed 75.1% first time, 0.9 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 81.2%, 2.1 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 71,441 miles at the test, against 45,974 for petrols.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 175,527 | 75.1% | 74.2% | +0.9 | 71,441 |
| Petrol | 168,722 | 81.2% | 79.1% | +2.1 | 45,974 |
| Hybrid | 14,887 | 88.6% | 85.7% | +2.9 | 40,767 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The A-Class ranks 9 of 15.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. VW Golf | 453,675 | 84.7% | 77.2% | +7.5 | |
| 2. Audi A3 | 236,485 | 83.4% | 76.3% | +7.1 | |
| 3. Skoda Octavia | 130,349 | 81.5% | 75.7% | +5.8 | |
| 4. Toyota Corolla | 55,580 | 89.2% | 84.2% | +5.1 | |
| 5. Toyota Auris | 78,822 | 78.5% | 73.7% | +4.8 | |
| 6. Honda Civic | 96,393 | 82.2% | 77.5% | +4.8 | |
| 7. BMW 1 Series | 216,359 | 81.6% | 77.1% | +4.5 | |
| 8. Seat Leon | 133,332 | 79.6% | 77.2% | +2.3 | |
| 9. Mercedes A-Class | 285,897 | 80.7% | 79.2% | +1.6 | |
| 10. Ford Focus | 433,954 | 77.1% | 76.9% | +0.2 | |
| 11. Kia Ceed | 68,633 | 75.8% | 76.8% | −1.0 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Astra | 259,770 | 73.6% | 75.2% | −1.6 | |
| 13. Hyundai i30 | 54,108 | 73.1% | 75.3% | −2.2 | |
| 14. Nissan Leaf | 42,108 | 78.9% | 81.7% | −2.7 | |
| 15. Peugeot 308 | 69,563 | 71.2% | 75.2% | −4.0 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on A-Classes in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 78.5% of 359,142 A-Class MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 77.0% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005 to 2010: level (+0.4 to −1.2 points). 2011: ahead (+1.6 points). 2012: level (+0.7 points). 2013 to 2014: ahead (+2.3 to +4.1 points). 2015 to 2017: level (+0.2 to +1.3 points). 2018 to 2022: ahead (+1.6 to +2.5 points).
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.
Coil spring: fractured or broken: 2.6% of A-Class MOTs, against 1.9% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol A-Classes passed 81.2% first time and diesels 75.1%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 2.1 points above and diesels 0.9 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the VW Golf passed 84.7% first time, +7.5 points against comparable cars. The A-Class passed 80.7%, +1.6 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the A-Class's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a Mercedes A-Class: 149 recorded model names, from "A-CLASS" to trims such as "A".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.