Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT failure rate and common faults
91,170 Mercedes-Benz GLA cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 16.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 19.5% of the time, which makes the Mercedes-Benz GLA 14% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
16.8%
failed first time
91,170 MOT tests in 2025
-14%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 19.5%
71 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
65.7
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 80.6
What fails on a Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 24.9 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 20.8 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 20.0 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 18.6 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 17.7 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 16.2 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 11.4 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 9.8 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 8.8 |
Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,765 | 8.5% | 11.4% | 25,000 |
| 2021 | 8,756 | 8.4% | 12.8% | 33,600 |
| 2020 | 8,963 | 10.3% | 14.1% | 35,900 |
| 2019 | 16,741 | 14.6% | 16.5% | 43,500 |
| 2018 | 16,384 | 18.2% | 19.1% | 52,900 |
| 2017 | 12,745 | 20.2% | 21.8% | 62,500 |
| 2016 | 10,567 | 22.8% | 25.1% | 71,600 |
| 2015 | 8,804 | 23.6% | 28.1% | 78,200 |
| 2014 | 3,445 | 21.0% | 31.4% | 81,700 |
Advisories to look for in a Mercedes-Benz GLA's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Mercedes-Benz GLA, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge249.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing146.4
- Brake pads: wearing thin105.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened89.6
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively54.3
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords19.1
Checking a used Mercedes-Benz GLA before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mercedes-Benz GLA fails more often than average on body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Mercedes-Benz GLA cars tested: Petrol 49%, Diesel 48%, Hybrid 3%. Average age at test 6.9 years, average recorded mileage 53,200.
Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT failure rate?
16.8% of Mercedes-Benz GLA cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 91,170 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 19.5% of the time, so the Mercedes-Benz GLA was 14% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 69 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded 24.9 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mercedes-Benz GLA year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 8.4% failed against an average of 12.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Mercedes-Benz GLA will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mercedes-Benz GLA tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class21.5% failed
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class24.8% failed
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class22.3% failed
- Mercedes-Benz GLC13.7% failed
- Mercedes-Benz Vito32.5% failed
- Mercedes-Benz CLA19.4% failed
Ranked close to the Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Jaguar XErank 68
- Volvo V70rank 70
- Toyota Corollarank 72
- Saab 9-3rank 73
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Mercedes-Benz GLA cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.