Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 25,775 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.3 points across the cohorts — newer V examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 14,724

Pass

83.5%

Fail

13.2%

PRS

2.5%

Avg mileage at test

120,135 mi

2018–2020 cohort 10,265

Pass

87.5%

Fail

10.0%

PRS

2.0%

Avg mileage at test

88,553 mi

2021+ cohort 786

Pass

87.8%

Fail

6.6%

PRS

4.6%

Avg mileage at test

30,917 mi

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

The picture

Mercedes Benz V: solid MOT record across 12,403 tests

The Mercedes Benz V 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 12,403 tests puts this car on a 83.2% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 88,478 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

For used buyers, the V'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 28–46

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 →

28–46

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

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

594 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
02

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

463 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
03

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

373 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

357 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
05

A tyre cords visible or damaged

355 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
06

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

245 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
07

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

230 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
08

Wiper blade defective

207 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
09

A tyre seriously damaged

204 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
10

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

144 occurrences · 0.6% 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 4 failures

£280–£670

If every one of this V'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 4.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mercedes Benz V has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

87.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 87.8% — a 4.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 30,917 miles — roughly 89K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — 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

83.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 83.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and ball joint excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 120,135 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (87.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (83.5% pass). That's a 4.3-point spread across 14,724 older tests and 786 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

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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.

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Buying or keeping a V?

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 V 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.