Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Mercedes-Benz SLC in Great Britain in 2025 — 8,985 tests. Figures cover every SLC first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the SLC ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
85.1%
12.8 points above the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
8,985
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
5.3%
of SLC first tests; national 7.3%

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

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 8,232 Mercedes-Benz SLC cars that were taxed or on SORN: 7,999 taxed and 233 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 SLC vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
7,999
97.2% of the 8,232 SLC cars taxed or on SORN; 14 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
233
declared off the road by their keepers — 2.8% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed SLC cars peaked at 8,122 at the end of 2022 and has since fallen by 123 (1.5%) to 7,999 at the end of 2025. Cars on SORN went from 2 at the end of 2016 to 233 at the end of 2025, up 11550.0%. 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 SLC cars, year by year

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

02k4k6k8k10k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed SLC cars, year 2014: 0Taxed SLC cars, year 2015: 0Taxed SLC cars, year 2016: 2kTaxed SLC cars, year 2017: 5kTaxed SLC cars, year 2018: 7kTaxed SLC cars, year 2019: 7kTaxed SLC cars, year 2020: 8kTaxed SLC cars, year 2021: 8kTaxed SLC cars, year 2022: 8kTaxed SLC cars, year 2023: 8kTaxed SLC cars, year 2024: 8kTaxed SLC cars, year 2025: 8k8k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed SLC cars
20140
20150
20162,195
20175,383
20186,677
20197,225
20207,929
20218,076
20228,122
20238,074
20248,026
20257,999

SLC 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.

0501001502002502014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)SLC cars on SORN, year 2014: 0SLC cars on SORN, year 2015: 0SLC cars on SORN, year 2016: 2SLC cars on SORN, year 2017: 28SLC cars on SORN, year 2018: 67SLC cars on SORN, year 2019: 89SLC cars on SORN, year 2020: 112SLC cars on SORN, year 2021: 109SLC cars on SORN, year 2022: 135SLC cars on SORN, year 2023: 159SLC cars on SORN, year 2024: 212SLC cars on SORN, year 2025: 233233
View this chart as a table
YearSLC cars on SORN
20140
20150
20162
201728
201867
201989
2020112
2021109
2022135
2023159
2024212
2025233

Which model years survive

Taxed SLC cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 7,999 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. 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 SLC cars
20211551.9%
20205366.7%
201988111.0%
20181,30216.3%
20173,09438.7%
20162,03125.4%

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 SLC 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 SLC ages

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

Mercedes-Benz SLCAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Mercedes-Benz SLC, vehicle age 5: 89.5%Mercedes-Benz SLC, vehicle age 6: 88.8%Mercedes-Benz SLC, vehicle age 7: 88.8%Mercedes-Benz SLC, vehicle age 8: 82.4%Mercedes-Benz SLC, vehicle age 9: 83.7%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 SLC 83.7%All cars 57.6%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)SLC testsSLC pass rateAll cars
560289.5%86.0%
699388.8%83.5%
71,49588.8%80.9%
83,43382.4%78.2%
92,25883.7%74.9%

Better or worse than the average car?

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

SLC ahead
-10-5+0+5+10Age 5: +3.5 points vs the average car5Age 6: +5.3 points vs the average carAge 7: +7.9 points vs the average car7Age 8: +4.2 points vs the average carAge 9: +8.8 points vs the average car9Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
5+3.5
6+5.3
7+7.9
8+4.2
9+8.8

The SLC fleet on the road, by age

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

01k2k3k4kAge 5: 6025Age 6: 993Age 7: 1k7Age 8: 3kAge 9: 2k9Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
5602
6993
71,495
83,433
92,258

What an SLC fails on

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

Tyres38.7%
Suspension25.7%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10.3%
Brakes9.0%
Noise, emissions and leaks6.2%
Road Wheels3.4%
Visibility2.8%
Identification of the vehicle2.4%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (98.4% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

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

Tyres: 63.8% of advisories63.8%Brakes: 16.8% of advisories16.8%Suspension: 10.5% of advisories10.5%Non-component advisories: 3.6% of advisoriesRoad Wheels: 2.8% of advisoriesIdentification of the vehicle: 1.2% of advisories
TyresBrakesSuspensionNon-component advisoriesRoad WheelsIdentification of the vehicle
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Tyres63.8%
Brakes16.8%
Suspension10.5%
Non-component advisories3.6%
Road Wheels2.8%
Identification of the vehicle1.2%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid SLC?

First-time pass rate for the two most-tested SLC 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: 87.5% of 6,192 tests87.5%Petrol6,192 testsDiesel: 79.6% of 2,793 tests79.6%Diesel2,793 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Petrol6,19287.5%
Diesel2,79379.6%

What mileage is normal for an SLC?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) SLC; 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 SLC (median)
0k25k50k75k579Vehicle age (years)Age 5: typical 18,750 miles (middle half 13,750–28,750)Age 6: typical 23,750 miles (middle half 16,250–31,250)Age 7: typical 28,750 miles (middle half 18,750–41,250)Age 8: typical 36,250 miles (middle half 26,250–48,750)Age 9: typical 41,250 miles (middle half 28,750–56,250)41k mi

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

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
513,75018,75028,750
616,25023,75031,250
718,75028,75041,250
826,25036,25048,750
928,75041,25056,250

What fails at each age

The SLC'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.

TyresBrakesNoise, emissions and leaksSuspensionRoad WheelsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
3-5 yrsTyres63.5%
3-5 yrsBrakes11.5%
3-5 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks6.7%
3-5 yrsSuspension5.8%
3-5 yrsRoad Wheels4.8%
3-5 yrsEverything else7.7%
6-9 yrsTyres39.5%
6-9 yrsSuspension30.0%
6-9 yrsBrakes9.5%
6-9 yrsNoise, emissions and leaks6.3%
6-9 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4.8%
6-9 yrsEverything else9.9%

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.