Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercedes Benz
3,096 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Esprinter Progressives pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 0.8 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
76.7%
Pass-after-fix
3.3%
Fail
19.1%
Avg miles
21,451
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from all UK clean air zone charges.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,096 tests
Pass rate climbs 9.2 points across the cohorts — newer Esprinter Progressive examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
72.3%
Fail
22.8%
PRS
3.7%
Avg mileage at test
22,787 mi
Pass
81.5%
Fail
15.1%
PRS
2.9%
Avg mileage at test
20,008 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,013 MOT tests, the Esprinter Progressive returns 67.0% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a missing CV-joint boot. A split CV-joint boot and a stop-lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 18,235, 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
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 →
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Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
168 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
163 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
70 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
69 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
67 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
42 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A body panel or body component damaged or corroded and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted, or insecure
42 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
41 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
41 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
41 occurrences · 1.3% 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
£120–£250
If every one of this Esprinter Progressive'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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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 9.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mercedes Benz Esprinter Progressive has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
81.5%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 81.5% — a 9.2-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated — 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
72.3%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 72.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 81.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: does not clear the windscreen effectively, less than 1.5 mm thick, and constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…. Average mileage on test for this band is 22,787 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (81.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (72.3% pass). That's a 9.2-point spread across 1,611 older tests and 1,485 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
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 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
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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 Esprinter Progressive 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.
