Mercedes-Benz GLA MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Mercedes-Benz GLA in Great Britain in 2025 — 92,022 tests. Figures cover every GLA first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the GLA ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
83.3%
11.0 points above the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
92,022
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
4.8%
of GLA first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
76,250
middle half: 61,250–93,750 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

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

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 114,766 Mercedes-Benz GLA cars that were taxed or on SORN: 112,995 taxed and 1,771 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 GLA vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
112,995
98.5% of the 114,766 GLA cars taxed or on SORN; 232 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
1,771
declared off the road by their keepers — 1.5% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed GLA cars is still rising: 112,995 at the end of 2025, up 9,341 (9.0%) on the end of 2024, and the highest in the years shown. Cars on SORN went from 8 at the end of 2014 to 1,771 at the end of 2025, up 22037.5%. 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 GLA 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 GLA cars, year 2014: 4kTaxed GLA cars, year 2015: 13kTaxed GLA cars, year 2016: 24kTaxed GLA cars, year 2017: 37kTaxed GLA cars, year 2018: 52kTaxed GLA cars, year 2019: 69kTaxed GLA cars, year 2020: 78kTaxed GLA cars, year 2021: 85kTaxed GLA cars, year 2022: 89kTaxed GLA cars, year 2023: 94kTaxed GLA cars, year 2024: 104kTaxed GLA cars, year 2025: 113k113k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed GLA cars
20143,806
201513,122
201624,227
201736,735
201852,376
201969,368
202077,650
202185,028
202289,462
202394,459
2024103,654
2025112,995

GLA 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.

05001k2k2k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)GLA cars on SORN, year 2014: 8GLA cars on SORN, year 2015: 32GLA cars on SORN, year 2016: 43GLA cars on SORN, year 2017: 119GLA cars on SORN, year 2018: 248GLA cars on SORN, year 2019: 493GLA cars on SORN, year 2020: 1kGLA cars on SORN, year 2021: 1kGLA cars on SORN, year 2022: 1kGLA cars on SORN, year 2023: 1kGLA cars on SORN, year 2024: 2kGLA cars on SORN, year 2025: 2k2k
View this chart as a table
YearGLA cars on SORN
20148
201532
201643
2017119
2018248
2019493
20201,018
20211,128
20221,237
20231,369
20241,598
20251,771

Which model years survive

Taxed GLA cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 112,995 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. 1 taxed GLA car has no recorded year of manufacture and is not in the table, so the rows add up to 112,994. 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 GLA cars
20259,8988.8%
20249,6738.6%
20235,4774.8%
20224,3263.8%
20218,3367.4%
20208,7567.7%
201916,47114.6%
201815,80314.0%
201712,26910.9%
201610,2149.0%
20158,5157.5%
20143,2552.9%
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 name GLA CLASS 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 GLA ages

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

Mercedes-Benz GLAAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 3: 91.4%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 4: 91.6%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 5: 89.8%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 6: 85.4%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 7: 81.8%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 8: 79.8%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 9: 77.2%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 10: 76.4%Mercedes-Benz GLA, vehicle age 11: 79%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 GLA 79%All cars 57.6%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)GLA testsGLA pass rateAll cars
35,00391.4%88.5%
49,03691.6%87.2%
59,02889.8%86.0%
616,74185.4%83.5%
716,38481.8%80.9%
812,74579.8%78.2%
910,56777.2%74.9%
108,80476.4%71.9%
113,44579.0%68.6%

Better or worse than the average car?

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

GLA ahead
-12-6+0+6+12Age 3: +2.9 points vs the average car3Age 4: +4.4 points vs the average carAge 5: +3.8 points vs the average car5Age 6: +1.9 points vs the average carAge 7: +0.9 points vs the average car7Age 8: +1.6 points vs the average carAge 9: +2.3 points vs the average car9Age 10: +4.5 points vs the average carAge 11: +10.4 points vs the average car11Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
3+2.9
4+4.4
5+3.8
6+1.9
7+0.9
8+1.6
9+2.3
10+4.5
11+10.4

The GLA fleet on the road, by age

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

05k10k15k20kAge 3: 5k3Age 4: 9kAge 5: 9k5Age 6: 16kAge 7: 16k7Age 8: 12kAge 9: 10k9Age 10: 8kAge 11: 3k11Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
35,003
49,036
59,028
616,741
716,384
812,745
910,567
108,804
113,445

What a GLA fails on

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

Tyres24.7%
Suspension20.6%
Brakes12.4%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12.3%
Visibility10.2%
Body, chassis, structure8.2%
Noise, emissions and leaks6.5%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1.8%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (96.7% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

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

Tyres: 50.0% of advisories50.0%Brakes: 31.2% of advisories31.2%Non-component advisories: 8.3% of advisories8.3%Suspension: 5.2% of advisoriesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 1.7% of advisoriesIdentification of the vehicle: 1.6% of advisories
TyresBrakesNon-component advisoriesSuspensionLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentIdentification of the vehicle
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Tyres50.0%
Brakes31.2%
Non-component advisories8.3%
Suspension5.2%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1.7%
Identification of the vehicle1.6%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid GLA?

First-time pass rate for the three most-tested GLA 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: 86.0% of 45,390 tests86.0%Petrol45,390 testsDiesel: 80.0% of 43,598 tests80.0%Diesel43,598 testsHybrid electric: 91.7% of 3,033 tests91.7%Hybrid3,033 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Petrol45,39086.0%
Diesel43,59880.0%
Hybrid electric3,03391.7%

What mileage is normal for a GLA?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) GLA; 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 GLA (median)
0k25k50k75k100k357911Vehicle age (years)Age 3: typical 21,250 miles (middle half 16,250–31,250)Age 4: typical 31,250 miles (middle half 23,750–41,250)Age 5: typical 33,750 miles (middle half 23,750–43,750)Age 6: typical 41,250 miles (middle half 31,250–53,750)Age 7: typical 51,250 miles (middle half 38,750–63,750)Age 8: typical 58,750 miles (middle half 46,250–76,250)Age 9: typical 68,750 miles (middle half 53,750–86,250)Age 10: typical 76,250 miles (middle half 61,250–93,750)Age 11: typical 78,750 miles (middle half 61,250–98,750)78k mi

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

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
316,25021,25031,250
423,75031,25041,250
523,75033,75043,750
631,25041,25053,750
738,75051,25063,750
846,25058,75076,250
953,75068,75086,250
1061,25076,25093,750
1161,25078,75098,750

What fails at each age

The GLA'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 equipmentBody, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaksEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
3-5 yrsTyres48.0%
3-5 yrsBrakes17.7%
3-5 yrsVisibility9.7%
3-5 yrsSuspension6.6%
3-5 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4.0%
3-5 yrsEverything else14.0%
6-9 yrsTyres26.1%
6-9 yrsSuspension21.7%
6-9 yrsBrakes14.2%
6-9 yrsBody, chassis, structure11.6%
6-9 yrsVisibility8.7%
6-9 yrsEverything else17.7%
10-13 yrsSuspension37.4%
10-13 yrsTyres18.2%
10-13 yrsBrakes10.9%
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9.6%
10-13 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks7.3%
10-13 yrsEverything else16.6%

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.