Mercedes-Benz ML MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Mercedes-Benz ML in Great Britain in 2025 — 29,268 tests. Figures cover every ML first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the ML ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
72.2%
0.1 points below the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
29,268
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
7.5%
of ML first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
83,750
middle half: 63,750–101,250 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

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

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 38,376 Mercedes-Benz ML cars that were taxed or on SORN: 26,619 taxed and 11,757 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 ML vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
26,619
69.4% of the 38,376 ML cars taxed or on SORN; 77 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
11,757
declared off the road by their keepers — 30.6% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed ML cars peaked at 62,829 at the end of 2015 and has since fallen by 36,210 (57.6%) to 26,619 at the end of 2025. Cars on SORN went from 2,042 at the end of 2014 to 11,757 at the end of 2025, up 475.8%. 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 ML cars, year by year

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

020k40k60k80k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed ML cars, year 2014: 62kTaxed ML cars, year 2015: 63kTaxed ML cars, year 2016: 60kTaxed ML cars, year 2017: 56kTaxed ML cars, year 2018: 52kTaxed ML cars, year 2019: 47kTaxed ML cars, year 2020: 44kTaxed ML cars, year 2021: 40kTaxed ML cars, year 2022: 37kTaxed ML cars, year 2023: 33kTaxed ML cars, year 2024: 30kTaxed ML cars, year 2025: 27k27k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed ML cars
201461,844
201562,829
201660,263
201756,051
201851,601
201946,853
202043,680
202140,430
202237,073
202333,279
202429,671
202526,619

ML 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.

05k10k15k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)ML cars on SORN, year 2014: 2kML cars on SORN, year 2015: 3kML cars on SORN, year 2016: 4kML cars on SORN, year 2017: 5kML cars on SORN, year 2018: 6kML cars on SORN, year 2019: 7kML cars on SORN, year 2020: 8kML cars on SORN, year 2021: 9kML cars on SORN, year 2022: 9kML cars on SORN, year 2023: 10kML cars on SORN, year 2024: 11kML cars on SORN, year 2025: 12k12k
View this chart as a table
YearML cars on SORN
20142,042
20152,692
20163,517
20174,657
20185,765
20197,011
20208,063
20218,558
20229,300
202310,302
202411,002
202511,757

Which model years survive

Taxed ML cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 26,619 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. 2 taxed ML cars have no recorded year of manufacture and are not in the table, so the rows add up to 26,617. 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 ML cars
20153,11611.7%
20143,77814.2%
20134,04415.2%
20122,3718.9%
20112,2138.3%
20102,1698.1%
20091,5185.7%
20081,6016.0%
20071,4275.4%
20061,1264.2%
20056252.3%
20048163.1%
20036092.3%
20025161.9%
20012861.1%
All other build years (five years, each under 1%)4021.5%

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 ML 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 ML ages

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

Mercedes-Benz MLAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 10: 81.6%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 11: 79.7%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 12: 79.7%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 13: 76.4%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 14: 70.1%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 15: 68%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 16: 67%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 17: 68.1%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 18: 67.6%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 19: 67.2%Mercedes-Benz ML, vehicle age 20: 60.4%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 ML 60.4%All cars 57.6%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)ML testsML pass rateAll cars
103,14081.6%71.9%
113,79279.7%68.6%
124,08879.7%65.8%
132,50576.4%63.5%
142,43370.1%61.2%
152,43668.0%59.3%
161,78967.0%58.3%
171,90768.1%57.2%
181,73067.6%57.4%
191,39367.2%57.0%
2076660.4%57.6%

Better or worse than the average car?

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

ML ahead
-14-7+0+7+14Age 10: +9.7 points vs the average carAge 11: +11.1 points vs the average car11Age 12: +13.9 points vs the average carAge 13: +12.9 points vs the average car13Age 14: +8.9 points vs the average carAge 15: +8.7 points vs the average car15Age 16: +8.7 points vs the average carAge 17: +10.9 points vs the average car17Age 18: +10.2 points vs the average carAge 19: +10.2 points vs the average car19Age 20: +2.8 points vs the average car20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
10+9.7
11+11.1
12+13.9
13+12.9
14+8.9
15+8.7
16+8.7
17+10.9
18+10.2
19+10.2
20+2.8

The ML fleet on the road, by age

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

01k2k3k5kAge 10: 3k10Age 11: 3kAge 12: 4k12Age 13: 2kAge 14: 2k14Age 15: 2kAge 16: 1k16Age 17: 1kAge 18: 1k18Age 19: 1kAge 20: 76620Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
103,140
113,792
124,088
132,505
142,433
152,436
161,789
171,907
181,730
191,393
20766

What an ML fails on

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

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment28.2%
Brakes18.5%
Suspension15.1%
Tyres12.0%
Noise, emissions and leaks7.2%
Body, chassis, structure6.1%
Visibility5.4%
Steering3.2%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (95.6% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

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

Brakes: 27.3% of advisories27.3%Tyres: 26.4% of advisories26.4%Suspension: 20.4% of advisories20.4%Noise, emissions and leaks: 12.0% of advisories12.0%Non-component advisories: 4.2% of advisoriesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 3.3% of advisories
BrakesTyresSuspensionNoise, emissions and leaksNon-component advisoriesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Brakes27.3%
Tyres26.4%
Suspension20.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks12.0%
Non-component advisories4.2%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3.3%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid ML?

First-time pass rate for the two most-tested ML 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%Diesel: 72.6% of 26,757 tests72.6%Diesel26,757 testsPetrol: 67.8% of 2,468 tests67.8%Petrol2,468 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Diesel26,75772.6%
Petrol2,46867.8%

What mileage is normal for an ML?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) ML; 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 ML (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k150k175k101214161820Vehicle age (years)Age 10: typical 83,750 miles (middle half 63,750–101,250)Age 11: typical 93,750 miles (middle half 73,750–111,250)Age 12: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 83,750–123,750)Age 13: typical 106,250 miles (middle half 86,250–126,250)Age 14: typical 111,250 miles (middle half 93,750–131,250)Age 15: typical 118,750 miles (middle half 98,750–141,250)Age 16: typical 123,750 miles (middle half 103,750–146,250)Age 17: typical 128,750 miles (middle half 106,250–151,250)Age 18: typical 131,250 miles (middle half 108,750–158,750)Age 19: typical 133,750 miles (middle half 108,750–156,250)Age 20: typical 131,250 miles (middle half 103,750–153,750)131k mi

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

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
1063,75083,750101,250
1173,75093,750111,250
1283,750101,250123,750
1386,250106,250126,250
1493,750111,250131,250
1598,750118,750141,250
16103,750123,750146,250
17106,250128,750151,250
18108,750131,250158,750
19108,750133,750156,250
20103,750131,250153,750

What fails at each age

The ML'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.

TyresSuspensionLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentBrakesNoise, emissions and leaksBody, chassis, structureEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
10-13 yrsTyres27.0%
10-13 yrsSuspension21.1%
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13.6%
10-13 yrsBrakes10.8%
10-13 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks8.9%
10-13 yrsEverything else18.6%
14+ yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment26.5%
14+ yrsBrakes23.7%
14+ yrsSuspension15.7%
14+ yrsTyres8.9%
14+ yrsBody, chassis, structure6.5%
14+ yrsEverything else18.7%

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.