Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 68,536 tests

Pass rate climbs 1.5 points across the cohorts — newer Gle examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 31,932

Pass

89.8%

Fail

8.3%

PRS

1.5%

Avg mileage at test

65,647 mi

2018–2020 cohort 27,883

Pass

91.7%

Fail

6.8%

PRS

1.0%

Avg mileage at test

44,790 mi

2021+ cohort 8,721

Pass

91.3%

Fail

6.9%

PRS

1.3%

Avg mileage at test

32,040 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 4

Mercedes Benz Gle · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Mercedes Benz Gle: solid MOT record across 28,571 tests

The Mercedes Benz Gle is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 28,571 tests puts this car on an 88.8% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 47,256 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

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.

For used buyers, the Gle's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 38–48

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 →

38–48

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1,612 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
02

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

987 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
03

A tyre seriously damaged

913 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
04

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

875 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

732 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Wiper blade defective

394 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
07

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

366 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
08

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

353 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
09

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

304 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator

217 occurrences · 0.3% 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 2 failures

£120–£190

If every one of this Gle'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Mercedes Benz Gle makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

91.7%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.7% — a 1.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 44,790 miles — roughly 21K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, 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. 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

89.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 65,647 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (89.8% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 31,932 older tests and 27,883 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

Get a quote →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

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

Recall history

35 UK recalls on record.

The Gle has 35 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Gle?

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 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.