2025 MOT results
Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class common problems
The most common reason a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class fails its MOT is a worn steering or suspension joint, on 24.8% of its 3,533 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 24.8% of failures against 6.5% expected; corroded brake pipes at 5.8% of failures against 2.2% expected; a split joint boot at 8.3% of failures against 4.3% expected.
- Tests in 2025 7,985 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.2% 3,533 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 12.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 69.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 24.8% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 18.4% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.5% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.4% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 8.4% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 8.3% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 8.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 7.6% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 5.8% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn steering or suspension joint
24.8% of failures 6.5% expected 3.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Broken coil spring
18.4% of failures 10.5% expected 1.8 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.5% of failures 7.2% expected somewhat more often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Sidelight out
8.4% of failures 13.9% expected 1.7 times less often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.4% of failures 4.6% expected 1.8 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Split joint boot
8.3% of failures 4.3% expected 1.9 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class, on 56.4% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 41.6%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 56.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40.0% |
| Brakes | 25.8% |
| Tyres | 21.7% |
| Visibility | 17.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.1% |
| Steering | 10.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
69.0% of Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mercedes-Benz CLC-Classes, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.7% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 19.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 10.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 9.3% |
| Wheel bearings: slight play Suspension | 7.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.7% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 6.1% |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective Body, chassis, structure | 5.1% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.5% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” is the most common: it appears on 24.8% of failed Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 56.4% of failed tests.
How often does a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class fail its MOT?
44.2% of Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 7,985 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 45 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” appears on 24.8% of its failures against 6.5% for cars of the same age, and “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 5.8% of its failures against 2.2% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 7,985 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.