Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercedes Benz
1,478 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ DE 4M As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 14.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.3%
Pass-after-fix
1.8%
Fail
5.6%
Avg miles
40,151
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 · 1,478 tests
Pass rate drops 3.7 points across the cohorts — recent Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ DE 4M A examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
94.8%
Fail
2.2%
PRS
2.5%
Avg mileage at test
45,546 mi
Pass
91.2%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
37,820 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,478 MOT tests, the Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ De 4m A returns 92.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. Tyre tread under the limit and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 40,151, 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.
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
57 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
37 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
26 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
7 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
3 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
£160–£380
If every one of this Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ DE 4M 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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mercedes Benz Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ DE 4M A has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
94.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 94.8% — a 3.7-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
91.2%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 91.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 37,820 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (94.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (91.2% pass). That's a 3.7-point spread across 1,031 older tests and 447 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
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
The GLE is an appealing and desirable car in its own right. However, we do think that the best rivals offer better practicality, marginally better build quality and a more polished driving experience.
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 Gle 350 Amg Line Prem+ DE 4M 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.
