Mercedes Benz
500
2,691 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 500s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
83.9%
Pass-after-fix
3.0%
Fail
11.9%
Avg miles
102,119
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
500: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,208 MOT tests, the 500 returns 80.0% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. Windscreen damage and a missing suspension dust cover round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 103,345, 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
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
122 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
- 02
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
49 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 03
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
49 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 04
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
31 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 05
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
28 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
25 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 07
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
25 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 08
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
25 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 09
Emissions levels exceed default limits
24 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 10
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
23 occurrences · 0.9% 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 4 failures
£320–£960
If every one of this 500'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.
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Buying or keeping a 500?
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 500 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.