Mercedes-Benz CLA MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Mercedes-Benz CLA in Great Britain in 2025 — 76,257 tests. Figures cover every CLA first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the CLA ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
80.8%
8.5 points above the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
76,257
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
7.7%
of CLA first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
86,250
middle half: 68,750–106,250 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

How many Mercedes-Benz CLA cars are still on the road?

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 112,873 Mercedes-Benz CLA cars that were taxed or on SORN: 110,485 taxed and 2,388 on SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification — kept, but declared off the road by the keeper). The MOT figures above count tests; these count cars, across the whole United Kingdom, cars only. Mercedes-Benz CLA vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
110,485
97.9% of the 112,873 CLA cars taxed or on SORN; 128 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
2,388
declared off the road by their keepers — 2.1% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed CLA cars is still rising: 110,485 at the end of 2025, up 11,822 (12.0%) on the end of 2024, and the highest in the years shown. Cars on SORN went from 31 at the end of 2014 to 2,388 at the end of 2025, up 7603.2%. A car leaves the taxed count when it is scrapped, exported or declared off the road; the year-end counts do not say which.

Taxed CLA cars, year by year

Cars of this model taxed and on the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025.

050k100k150k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed CLA cars, year 2014: 8kTaxed CLA cars, year 2015: 15kTaxed CLA cars, year 2016: 23kTaxed CLA cars, year 2017: 30kTaxed CLA cars, year 2018: 38kTaxed CLA cars, year 2019: 47kTaxed CLA cars, year 2020: 53kTaxed CLA cars, year 2021: 62kTaxed CLA cars, year 2022: 73kTaxed CLA cars, year 2023: 85kTaxed CLA cars, year 2024: 99kTaxed CLA cars, year 2025: 110k110k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed CLA cars
20147,781
201515,158
201622,703
201730,216
201838,311
201947,065
202053,247
202162,120
202272,534
202385,411
202498,663
2025110,485

CLA cars on SORN, year by year

Cars of this model declared off the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025. Its own scale — SORN counts are a fraction of the taxed count.

05001k2k2k2k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)CLA cars on SORN, year 2014: 31CLA cars on SORN, year 2015: 60CLA cars on SORN, year 2016: 90CLA cars on SORN, year 2017: 168CLA cars on SORN, year 2018: 370CLA cars on SORN, year 2019: 594CLA cars on SORN, year 2020: 1kCLA cars on SORN, year 2021: 1kCLA cars on SORN, year 2022: 1kCLA cars on SORN, year 2023: 2kCLA cars on SORN, year 2024: 2kCLA cars on SORN, year 2025: 2k2k
View this chart as a table
YearCLA cars on SORN
201431
201560
201690
2017168
2018370
2019594
20201,006
20211,191
20221,377
20231,588
20241,929
20252,388

Which model years survive

Taxed CLA cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 110,485 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. 2 taxed CLA cars have no recorded year of manufacture and are not in the table, so the rows add up to 110,483. A build year's count depends on how many were sold that year as well as how many have lasted.

Year of manufacture Taxed, end of 2025Share of taxed CLA cars
202513,98812.7%
202413,90012.6%
202313,14511.9%
202210,5529.6%
20218,9248.1%
20206,9266.3%
20197,6756.9%
20187,7817.0%
20177,5946.9%
20167,1146.4%
20156,6566.0%
20144,2133.8%
20132,0141.8%
All other build years (one year, each under 1%)10.0%

Population source: Department for Transport / DVLA vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026; counts of the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, United Kingdom, cars only, excluding cars recorded with no model name. SortedCars groups DVLA's model names CLA CLASS, CLA 250+ WITH EQ TCH AMG LN ED, CLA 180 SPORT EDITION MHEV A, CLA250 under this model. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, DVLA or the Department for Transport.

How the CLA ages

First-time pass rate by vehicle age, CLA vs all cars, 2025.

Mercedes-Benz CLAAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 3: 87.2%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 4: 86%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 5: 84.4%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 6: 83.4%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 7: 80%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 8: 76.8%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 9: 75.6%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 10: 73.6%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 11: 71.9%Mercedes-Benz CLA, vehicle age 12: 69.8%All cars, vehicle age 3: 88.5%All cars, vehicle age 4: 87.2%All cars, vehicle age 5: 86%All cars, vehicle age 6: 83.5%All cars, vehicle age 7: 80.9%All cars, vehicle age 8: 78.2%All cars, vehicle age 9: 74.9%All cars, vehicle age 10: 71.9%All cars, vehicle age 11: 68.6%All cars, vehicle age 12: 65.8%All cars, vehicle age 13: 63.5%All cars, vehicle age 14: 61.2%All cars, vehicle age 15: 59.3%All cars, vehicle age 16: 58.3%All cars, vehicle age 17: 57.2%All cars, vehicle age 18: 57.4%All cars, vehicle age 19: 57%All cars, vehicle age 20: 57.6%Mercedes-Benz CLA 69.8%All cars 57.6%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)CLA testsCLA pass rateAll cars
311,79587.2%88.5%
410,09386.0%87.2%
57,96484.4%86.0%
68,33383.4%83.5%
78,39480.0%80.9%
88,24876.8%78.2%
97,59575.6%74.9%
106,74373.6%71.9%
114,27471.9%68.6%
122,07869.8%65.8%

Better or worse than the average car?

The CLA's pass rate minus the all-cars pass rate at each age, in percentage points. Bars above zero: the CLA beats the average car of that age. Below zero: it trails.

CLA aheadCLA behind
-6-3+0+3+6Age 3: -1.3 points vs the average car3Age 4: -1.2 points vs the average carAge 5: -1.6 points vs the average car5Age 6: -0.1 points vs the average carAge 7: -0.9 points vs the average car7Age 8: -1.4 points vs the average carAge 9: +0.7 points vs the average car9Age 10: +1.7 points vs the average carAge 11: +3.3 points vs the average car11Age 12: +4.0 points vs the average carVehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
3-1.3
4-1.2
5-1.6
6-0.1
7-0.9
8-1.4
9+0.7
10+1.7
11+3.3
12+4.0

The CLA fleet on the road, by age

How many took a first MOT in 2025 at each age — the shape of the CLA fleet still in use.

05k10k15k20kAge 3: 11k3Age 4: 10kAge 5: 7k5Age 6: 8kAge 7: 8k7Age 8: 8kAge 9: 7k9Age 10: 6kAge 11: 4k11Age 12: 2k12Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
311,795
410,093
57,964
68,333
78,394
88,248
97,595
106,743
114,274
122,078

What a CLA fails on

Where the failure items land when a CLA fails or needs a fix at test, 2025. Use it as a pre-purchase checklist: these are the areas to look at first.

Tyres33.8%
Suspension15.6%
Brakes12.6%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12.4%
Visibility9.5%
Noise, emissions and leaks6.0%
Road Wheels3.0%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.9%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (95.7% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

Where testers most often write "keep an eye on this" for a CLA, 2025 — the faults in the post.

Tyres: 50.9% of advisories50.9%Brakes: 31.8% of advisories31.8%Non-component advisories: 6.4% of advisoriesSuspension: 5.4% of advisoriesRoad Wheels: 1.5% of advisoriesIdentification of the vehicle: 1.2% of advisories
TyresBrakesNon-component advisoriesSuspensionRoad WheelsIdentification of the vehicle
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Tyres50.9%
Brakes31.8%
Non-component advisories6.4%
Suspension5.4%
Road Wheels1.5%
Identification of the vehicle1.2%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid CLA?

First-time pass rate for the three most-tested CLA fuel types, 2025, against the all-cars average. Fleet ages differ by fuel — newer fleets help the electrified bars.

50%60%70%80%90%100%all cars 72.3%Petrol: 82.7% of 43,520 tests82.7%Petrol43,520 testsDiesel: 76.8% of 27,748 tests76.8%Diesel27,748 testsHybrid electric: 86.1% of 4,989 tests86.1%Hybrid4,989 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Petrol43,52082.7%
Diesel27,74876.8%
Hybrid electric4,98986.1%

What mileage is normal for a CLA?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) CLA; the shaded band holds the middle half. A car far outside the band, in either direction, is worth questions the recorded history can answer.

Typical CLA (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k35791112Vehicle age (years)Age 3: typical 26,250 miles (middle half 18,750–38,750)Age 4: typical 36,250 miles (middle half 26,250–48,750)Age 5: typical 41,250 miles (middle half 31,250–56,250)Age 6: typical 46,250 miles (middle half 36,250–61,250)Age 7: typical 56,250 miles (middle half 43,750–71,250)Age 8: typical 68,750 miles (middle half 53,750–86,250)Age 9: typical 78,750 miles (middle half 63,750–96,250)Age 10: typical 86,250 miles (middle half 68,750–106,250)Age 11: typical 91,250 miles (middle half 73,750–113,750)Age 12: typical 96,250 miles (middle half 78,750–118,750)96k mi

Mileage values are midpoints of 2,500-mile bands.

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
318,75026,25038,750
426,25036,25048,750
531,25041,25056,250
636,25046,25061,250
743,75056,25071,250
853,75068,75086,250
963,75078,75096,250
1068,75086,250106,250
1173,75091,250113,750
1278,75096,250118,750

What fails at each age

The CLA's failure mix by age band, 2025 — each band's top categories at their true share of that band's failure items; the pale remainder is everything else. How the mix shifts with age is the point of the chart.

TyresBrakesVisibilitySuspensionLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentNoise, emissions and leaksEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
3-5 yrsTyres52.4%
3-5 yrsBrakes16.8%
3-5 yrsVisibility7.8%
3-5 yrsSuspension6.2%
3-5 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6.2%
3-5 yrsEverything else10.6%
6-9 yrsTyres36.4%
6-9 yrsSuspension16.9%
6-9 yrsBrakes14.8%
6-9 yrsVisibility8.6%
6-9 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6.9%
6-9 yrsEverything else16.4%
10-13 yrsSuspension27.9%
10-13 yrsTyres24.2%
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment11.7%
10-13 yrsBrakes10.3%
10-13 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks7.4%
10-13 yrsEverything else18.5%

More vehicles we've checked

How these figures are computed. Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (every MOT test in Great Britain — 2025 for single-year figures; trend figures state their span, currently 2023–2025). Where a figure comes from a sample or uses banded values (mileage is banded to 2,500 miles), the page says so beside the figure. Test class 4 only, first tests only — retests are excluded. Class 4 is the car MOT class and also covers car-derived vans, pickups and motorhomes tested to the same standard; where this page says "cars" it means class 4. Pass rate = passes ÷ (passes + failures + pass-after-rectification): a vehicle that failed and was fixed during the visit counts as a fail. Pass rates describe fleets, not individual machines: they reflect how cars were driven, maintained and used as well as how they were built, and beyond recorded mileage none of that is in the data. A well-kept example of a model with a weak average can still pass; a neglected example of a strong one can still fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Alias spellings of a make in the DVSA file are counted under one make name, and all trims and variants of a model are grouped under one model name, using SortedCars' grouping tables. The taxed and SORN counts on this page are the one exception: they are not computed from MOT records but taken from the Department for Transport's vehicle licensing statistics (DfT/DVLA table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0), which count the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, UK-wide, cars only. They describe a model as a whole, grouped under SortedCars' model names, and say nothing about any one car. “Dangerous” is DVSA's statutory defect category (in force since May 2018): a defect posing an immediate risk to road safety — driving the vehicle before repair is an offence. What these figures are for. These statistics are general information about groups of vehicles. They are not advice, a valuation or a recommendation to buy, avoid or price any particular vehicle, and no decision about one car should rest on them alone — check the car itself and its own records. We take care over the calculations, but we cannot guarantee they are complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for loss arising from reliance on them. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited — see our Terms & Conditions. If you believe any figure on this page is inaccurate, contact us. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the DVSA or DVLA. DVSA publishes the raw test records; the statistics on this page are SortedCars' own calculations from them. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.