Mercedes-Benz S-Class MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Great Britain in 2025 — 26,411 tests. Figures cover every S-Class first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the S-Class ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
83.9%
11.6 points above the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
26,411
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
5.6%
of S-Class first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
81,250
middle half: 56,250–118,750 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

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

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 31,658 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars that were taxed or on SORN: 22,799 taxed and 8,859 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 S-Class vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
22,799
72.0% of the 31,658 S-Class cars taxed or on SORN; 192 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
8,859
declared off the road by their keepers — 28.0% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed S-Class cars peaked at 30,592 at the end of 2016 and has since fallen by 7,793 (25.5%) to 22,799 at the end of 2025. Cars on SORN went from 2,567 at the end of 2014 to 8,859 at the end of 2025, up 245.1%. 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 S-Class cars, year by year

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

010k20k30k40k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed S-Class cars, year 2014: 29kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2015: 29kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2016: 31kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2017: 31kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2018: 30kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2019: 29kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2020: 27kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2021: 28kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2022: 27kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2023: 25kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2024: 24kTaxed S-Class cars, year 2025: 23k23k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed S-Class cars
201428,513
201529,481
201630,592
201730,534
201829,659
201928,864
202027,494
202127,748
202226,542
202325,120
202423,621
202522,799

S-Class 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.

02k4k6k8k10k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)S-Class cars on SORN, year 2014: 3kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2015: 3kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2016: 4kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2017: 4kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2018: 5kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2019: 6kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2020: 7kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2021: 7kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2022: 7kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2023: 8kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2024: 8kS-Class cars on SORN, year 2025: 9k9k
View this chart as a table
YearS-Class cars on SORN
20142,567
20153,137
20163,757
20174,474
20185,228
20195,935
20206,745
20216,897
20227,348
20237,976
20248,424
20258,859

Which model years survive

Taxed S-Class cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 22,799 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. 1 taxed S-Class car has no recorded year of manufacture and is not in the table, so the rows add up to 22,798. 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 S-Class cars
20256532.9%
20244391.9%
20235582.4%
20225012.2%
20215272.3%
20204922.2%
20191,7177.5%
20181,7657.7%
20171,9778.7%
20162,33010.2%
20151,9238.4%
20141,4276.3%
20138373.7%
20121,0764.7%
20118103.6%
20107023.1%
20096452.8%
20086753.0%
20079014.0%
20066833.0%
20053411.5%
20044431.9%
20034111.8%
All other build years (13 years, each under 1%)9654.2%

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 S CLASS, S580 MYBCH NT SERIES MHEV 4M A, S 450 L AMG LINE PREM + E 4M A, S 580 L AMG, S680 MYBCH FST CLS NT SRS 4M A, S 580 MAYBACH E 4MATIC AUTO and 1 more 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 S-Class ages

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

Mercedes-Benz S-ClassAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 3: 92.7%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 4: 89.6%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 5: 92.2%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 6: 90.5%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 7: 90.5%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 8: 87.2%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 9: 85.7%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 10: 86.9%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 11: 87.7%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 12: 81.8%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 13: 80.2%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 14: 78.4%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 15: 78.2%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 16: 72%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 17: 72.9%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 18: 75.7%Mercedes-Benz S-Class, vehicle age 19: 77.8%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 S-Class 77.8%All cars 57.6%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)S-Class testsS-Class pass rateAll cars
372492.7%88.5%
468489.6%87.2%
565692.2%86.0%
62,30790.5%83.5%
72,18490.5%80.9%
82,27187.2%78.2%
92,63485.7%74.9%
102,12486.9%71.9%
111,58387.7%68.6%
1294581.8%65.8%
131,14980.2%63.5%
1488978.4%61.2%
1577678.2%59.3%
1675472.0%58.3%
1781472.9%57.2%
181,12575.7%57.4%
1988177.8%57.0%

Better or worse than the average car?

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

S-Class ahead
-22-11+0+11+22Age 3: +4.2 points vs the average car3Age 4: +2.4 points vs the average carAge 5: +6.2 points vs the average car5Age 6: +7.0 points vs the average carAge 7: +9.6 points vs the average car7Age 8: +9.0 points vs the average carAge 9: +10.8 points vs the average car9Age 10: +15.0 points vs the average carAge 11: +19.1 points vs the average car11Age 12: +16.0 points vs the average carAge 13: +16.7 points vs the average car13Age 14: +17.2 points vs the average carAge 15: +18.9 points vs the average car15Age 16: +13.7 points vs the average carAge 17: +15.7 points vs the average car17Age 18: +18.3 points vs the average carAge 19: +20.8 points vs the average car19Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
3+4.2
4+2.4
5+6.2
6+7.0
7+9.6
8+9.0
9+10.8
10+15.0
11+19.1
12+16.0
13+16.7
14+17.2
15+18.9
16+13.7
17+15.7
18+18.3
19+20.8

The S-Class fleet on the road, by age

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

07501k2k3kAge 3: 7243Age 4: 684Age 5: 6565Age 6: 2kAge 7: 2k7Age 8: 2kAge 9: 2k9Age 10: 2kAge 11: 1k11Age 12: 945Age 13: 1k13Age 14: 889Age 15: 77615Age 16: 754Age 17: 81417Age 18: 1kAge 19: 88119Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
3724
4684
5656
62,307
72,184
82,271
92,634
102,124
111,583
12945
131,149
14889
15776
16754
17814
181,125
19881

What an S-Class fails on

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

Suspension19.8%
Tyres19.4%
Brakes19.0%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment14.5%
Noise, emissions and leaks8.2%
Visibility7.8%
Body, chassis, structure2.8%
Road Wheels2.7%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (94.3% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

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

Brakes: 34.0% of advisories34.0%Tyres: 31.9% of advisories31.9%Suspension: 17.6% of advisories17.6%Noise, emissions and leaks: 6.1% of advisoriesNon-component advisories: 3.4% of advisoriesBody, chassis, structure: 2.7% of advisories
BrakesTyresSuspensionNoise, emissions and leaksNon-component advisoriesBody, chassis, structure
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Brakes34.0%
Tyres31.9%
Suspension17.6%
Noise, emissions and leaks6.1%
Non-component advisories3.4%
Body, chassis, structure2.7%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid S-Class?

First-time pass rate for the three most-tested S-Class 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: 83.3% of 17,371 tests83.3%Diesel17,371 testsPetrol: 83.1% of 6,596 tests83.1%Petrol6,596 testsHybrid electric: 91.0% of 2,226 tests91.0%Hybrid2,226 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Diesel17,37183.3%
Petrol6,59683.1%
Hybrid electric2,22691.0%

What mileage is normal for an S-Class?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) S-Class; 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 S-Class (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k150k35791113151719Vehicle age (years)Age 3: typical 38,750 miles (middle half 21,250–66,250)Age 4: typical 38,750 miles (middle half 26,250–61,250)Age 5: typical 56,250 miles (middle half 33,750–83,750)Age 6: typical 71,250 miles (middle half 41,250–106,250)Age 7: typical 68,750 miles (middle half 43,750–106,250)Age 8: typical 66,250 miles (middle half 43,750–101,250)Age 9: typical 71,250 miles (middle half 51,250–98,750)Age 10: typical 81,250 miles (middle half 56,250–118,750)Age 11: typical 91,250 miles (middle half 63,750–126,250)Age 12: typical 103,750 miles (middle half 76,250–138,750)Age 13: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 73,750–133,750)Age 14: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 81,250–138,750)Age 15: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 83,750–138,750)Age 16: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 83,750–136,250)Age 17: typical 111,250 miles (middle half 83,750–138,750)Age 18: typical 113,750 miles (middle half 86,250–143,750)Age 19: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 81,250–136,250)108k mi

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

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
321,25038,75066,250
426,25038,75061,250
533,75056,25083,750
641,25071,250106,250
743,75068,750106,250
843,75066,250101,250
951,25071,25098,750
1056,25081,250118,750
1163,75091,250126,250
1276,250103,750138,750
1373,750101,250133,750
1481,250108,750138,750
1583,750108,750138,750
1683,750108,750136,250
1783,750111,250138,750
1886,250113,750143,750
1981,250108,750136,250

What fails at each age

The S-Class'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.

TyresSuspensionBrakesIdentification of the vehicleLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentVisibilityNoise, emissions and leaksEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
3-5 yrsTyres63.4%
3-5 yrsSuspension7.7%
3-5 yrsBrakes6.8%
3-5 yrsIdentification of the vehicle6.0%
3-5 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5.1%
3-5 yrsEverything else11.0%
6-9 yrsTyres36.8%
6-9 yrsSuspension23.0%
6-9 yrsVisibility8.9%
6-9 yrsBrakes8.1%
6-9 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks6.3%
6-9 yrsEverything else16.9%
10-13 yrsTyres26.6%
10-13 yrsSuspension22.9%
10-13 yrsBrakes18.5%
10-13 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks9.2%
10-13 yrsVisibility7.1%
10-13 yrsEverything else15.7%
14+ yrsBrakes26.3%
14+ yrsSuspension22.3%
14+ yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.8%
14+ yrsTyres11.1%
14+ yrsNoise, emissions and leaks7.8%
14+ yrsEverything else16.7%

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.