Mercedes Benz
5,026 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where A 200s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.
Pass
77.6%
Pass-after-fix
3.9%
Fail
17.7%
Avg miles
89,077
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 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 4,995 tests
Pass rate climbs 14.4 points across the cohorts — newer A 200 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
76.6%
Fail
18.5%
PRS
4.1%
Avg mileage at test
93,046 mi
Pass
91.0%
Fail
7.7%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
34,402 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,776 MOT tests, the A 200 returns 74.9% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. A missing suspension dust cover and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 84,828, 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
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →
20–36
out of 50
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
194 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
181 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
147 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
143 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
87 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
84 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
83 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
66 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
65 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
55 occurrences · 1.1% 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 A 200'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 14.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mercedes Benz A 200 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
91.0%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.0% — a 14.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 34,402 miles — roughly 59K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, warning lamp indicates a fault — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
76.6%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, ball joint dust cover no longer prevents…, and fractured or broken. Average mileage on test for this band is 93,046 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.6% pass). That's a 14.4-point spread across 4,696 older tests and 299 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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 an A 200 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.
