Mercedes-Benz ML MOT failure rate and common faults
25,977 Mercedes-Benz ML cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 26.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 36.8% of the time, which makes the Mercedes-Benz ML 29% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
26.1%
failed first time
25,977 MOT tests in 2025
-29%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 36.8%
23 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
99.0
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 128.3
What fails on a Mercedes-Benz ML 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 ML MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 51.5 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 29.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 28.8 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 26.8 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 24.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 22.5 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 16.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 16.4 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 15.4 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 13.9 |
Mercedes-Benz ML 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,140 | 18.4% | 28.1% | 85,100 |
| 2014 | 3,791 | 20.3% | 31.4% | 94,100 |
| 2013 | 4,088 | 20.3% | 34.3% | 104,500 |
| 2012 | 2,505 | 23.6% | 36.6% | 108,200 |
| 2011 | 2,432 | 29.9% | 38.8% | 114,100 |
| 2010 | 2,431 | 32.0% | 40.7% | 120,500 |
| 2009 | 1,787 | 33.0% | 41.8% | 125,300 |
| 2008 | 1,907 | 31.9% | 42.9% | 130,200 |
| 2007 | 1,730 | 32.4% | 42.7% | 133,200 |
| 2006 | 1,393 | 32.8% | 43.0% | 133,000 |
| 2005 | 766 | 39.6% | 42.4% | 128,800 |
Advisories to look for in a Mercedes-Benz ML'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 ML, 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 edge337.4
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive145.1
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material114.9
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened94.6
- Brake pads: wearing thin78.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement57.1
Checking a used Mercedes-Benz ML before you buy
The Mercedes-Benz ML has no part of the car that fails well above average for its age, so check the areas that fail most often overall.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
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 ML cars tested: Diesel 96%, Petrol 4%. Average age at test 13.8 years, average recorded mileage 110,900.
Mercedes-Benz ML MOT questions
What is the Mercedes-Benz ML MOT failure rate?
26.1% of Mercedes-Benz ML cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 25,977 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 36.8% of the time, so the Mercedes-Benz ML was 29% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mercedes-Benz ML MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 158 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 51.5 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mercedes-Benz ML year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2013 registrations did best: 20.3% failed against an average of 34.3% 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 ML will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mercedes-Benz ML 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 GLA16.8% failed
- Mercedes-Benz GLC13.7% failed
- Mercedes-Benz Vito32.5% failed
Ranked close to the Mercedes-Benz ML
- Audi A6rank 20
- Audi Q5rank 21
- BMW X5rank 22
- Volvo XC40rank 25
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 ML 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.