How many Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records and 54,180 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain45,346−5.2% on a year earlier
Declared SORN12,744Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202571.9%Cars of the same ages 63.3%
Rank by number licensedNo. 161of 1,159 models we cover
Peak year201666,516 licensed
Average annual mileage3,405miles a year
How many Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes are left in Great Britain?
There were 45,346 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 12,744 declared off the road (SORN).
That is 31.8% fewer than the peak of 66,516 in 2016.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes licensed in Great Britain
Numbers peaked in 2016 and have fallen every year since, as older cars are scrapped faster than new ones are registered.
In 2025, 71.9% of Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes tested pass 63.3% of the time, so the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class does better than average for its age, by 8.6 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 71.8%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class vs all cars
Comparing like with like: each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older average age does not count against a model.
0%
50%
100%
8–10 years
11–14 years
15–19 years
20+ years
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class compared with all cars
Suspension is the most common reason a Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class fails its MOT,
appearing on 44.0% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
6.9% of Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
Most common Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class MOT defects and advisories
The single most common reason a Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Coil spring: fractured or broken”, on 17.7% of 15,249 failed tests.
52.6% of tests ended with at least one advisory, a problem to watch that did not fail the test; the most common was “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge”.
The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. A test can fail for more than one.
Most common specific MOT defects on failed Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class tests, 2025
20 years of the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2011 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (75.2% passed first time) and the 1997 cars worst (68.9%).
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes by year of first registration
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left:
licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025.
Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great
Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class annual mileage
The average Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class covers 3,405 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Average annual mileage by age
0
2k
4k
6k
4,421
8–10 years
4,099
11–14 years
3,143
15–19 years
2,418
20+ years
Average annual mileage of a Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class by vehicle age
Registrations of Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes for the first time in Great Britain peaked at 6,599 in 2012. In 2025, 7 were registered. With almost none registered new, the number on the road is likely to keep falling.
Registered for the first time, by year
0
2k
4k
6k
8k
’01
’02
’03
’04
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes registered for the first time in Great Britain, by year
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 47,131 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 40.0% have an engine of 1,701cc to 1,800cc, and 26.9% have an engine of 2,101cc to 2,200cc. The share with an engine of 2,101cc to 2,200cc has grown from 14.8% in 2014 to 26.9%. Diesels made up 14.8% of those licensed in 2014 and 26.9% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,701cc to 1,800cc 18,865 licensed
40.0%
2,101cc to 2,200cc 12,663 licensed
26.9%
2,201cc to 2,300cc 4,304 licensed
9.1%
3,401cc to 3,500cc 3,510 licensed
7.4%
2,901cc to 3,000cc 3,020 licensed
6.4%
1,901cc to 2,000cc 2,540 licensed
5.4%
3,101cc to 3,200cc 1,247 licensed
2.6%
Other sizes 982 licensed
2.1%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size
Fuel
Licensed
Share
1,701–1,800cc
Petrol
18,861
40.0%
2,101–2,200cc
Diesel
12,660
26.9%
2,201–2,300cc
Petrol
4,297
9.1%
3,401–3,500cc
Petrol
3,510
7.4%
2,901–3,000cc
Petrol
3,019
6.4%
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
2,540
5.4%
3,101–3,200cc
Petrol
1,246
2.6%
5,401–5,500cc
Petrol
842
1.8%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Classes licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year
Petrol
Diesel
2014
85.2%
14.8%
2015
80.6%
19.3%
2016
79.1%
20.9%
2017
79.3%
20.7%
2018
78.9%
21.1%
2019
78.7%
21.3%
2020
77.3%
22.7%
2021
76.7%
23.3%
2022
75.9%
24.1%
2023
75.0%
24.9%
2024
74.0%
26.0%
2025
73.1%
26.9%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN
excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page.
How we use engine sizes.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class from 2000, when the data begins, to 2016. On the NEDC test (listings 2000 to 2016), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and diesel versions ranges from 23.5 to 64.2 mpg, with CO2 of 114 to 288 g/km.
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2016
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2016
Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in
real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in
VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was
listed.
Matched from VCA’s model names “SLK-Class (R171)”, “SLK-Class (R170) Coupé/Roadster”, “SLK-Class (171) Model Year 2009”, “SLK-Class (R171) MY09”. How we use VCA’s figures.
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class safety recalls
DVSA lists 25 safety recalls for the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class since 1992, the first in 2008. The most recent was launched on 29 November 2021.
The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications
Launched 29 November 2021DVSA recall R/2021/376Manufacturer ref. SRPC2152
Defect
The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications.
Remedy
Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or
incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a
dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over in 2025; retests are excluded. Age is rounded to the nearest year.
DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
