Mercedes Benz
8,576 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where A 250 Amg Line E Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.8%
Pass-after-fix
1.5%
Fail
8.3%
Avg miles
36,980
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 8,576 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old A 250 Amg Line E Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
89.7%
Fail
8.4%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
39,399 mi
Pass
90.1%
Fail
8.2%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
34,018 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,703 MOT tests, the A 250 Amg Line E Auto returns 87.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 31,437, 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 tyre seriously damaged
182 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
140 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
124 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade defective
98 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
94 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
41 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
39 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
39 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
26 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
17 occurrences · 0.2% 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 3 failures
£140–£235
If every one of this A 250 Amg Line E Auto'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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Mercedes Benz A 250 Amg Line E Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.1%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 90.1% — a 0.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 34,018 miles — roughly 5K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
89.7%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 89.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 39,399 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (89.7% pass). That's a 0.4-point spread across 4,721 older tests and 3,855 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 250 Amg Line E Auto 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.
