Mercedes Benz
220
1,708 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 220s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.6%
Pass-after-fix
5.4%
Fail
18.1%
Avg miles
108,182
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
220: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,046 MOT tests, the 220 returns 73.5% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a corroded brake pipe. A broken or weak spring and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 110,004, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 28–46
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
28–46
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
46 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
45 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 03
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
36 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
35 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 05
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
33 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 06
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
29 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 07
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
28 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 08
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
23 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 09
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
21 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 10
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
20 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 5 failures
£340–£825
If every one of this 220's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Buying or keeping a 220?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 220 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.