MOT cost .
Mercedes Benz A
MOT 2023
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Mercedes Benz

A

81,844 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 12.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

88.5%

Pass-after-fix

2.1%

Fail

9.0%

Avg miles

29,455

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

A: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 81,844 MOT tests, the A returns 88.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 29,455, 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.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    1,921 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  2. 02

    A tyre seriously damaged

    1,747 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  3. 03

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    1,440 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade defective

    1,141 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  5. 05

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    1,048 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  6. 06

    An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction

    926 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    861 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  8. 08

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    559 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  9. 09

    A tyre seriously damaged

    299 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  10. 10

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    292 occurrences · 0.4% 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

£160–£300

If every one of this A'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 →

Try the calculator

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

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

Item 03 · 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

Buying or keeping a A?

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 A 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.