Is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is well above average. It passes 78.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 69 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 16.7% of failed Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.6% of all Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz E-Class usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 97,206 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Mercedes-Benz E-Class get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.2% of Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 69.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Mercedes-Benz E-Class models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars tested, 83% are diesel, 11% are petrol, 3% are diesel hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOT pass rate & common failures

From 230,225 recorded MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class passes 78.5% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average, ranking it 69 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 230,225 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 16.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 97,206 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

78.5%national average72.3%unadjusted77.4%range covered100%rank69 of 262

The E-Class is 6.2 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 77.4%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements16.7%
7,610 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn15.0%
6,813 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A tyre cords visible or damaged13.1%
5,971 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.9%
5,441 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged10.0%
4,543 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded9.7%
4,439 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.5%
2,954 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.8%
2,620 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement5.6%
2,544 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel5.3%
2,408 occurrencesRoad wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements25.6%
58,936 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded13.7%
31,489 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured9.8%
22,441 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.0%
20,598 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged5.8%
13,264 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.7%
13,061 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn5.3%
12,111 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.8%
11,099 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs87%

6–8 yrs84%

9–11 yrs78%

12–14 yrs70%

15+ yrs69%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The E-Class fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 97,206
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel83.2%
Petrol11.1%
Diesel hybrid3.1%
Hybrid2.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

AMG E 53 NGT ED PRM+ MHEV 4M+A
AMG E 53 PREMIUM MHEV 4M+ A
AMG E 63 S NGT ED PREM + 4M+ A
E 200
E 200 AMG LINE ED PREM + A
E 200 AMG LINE EDITION
E 200 AMG LINE MHEV AUTO
E 200 AMG LINE NIGHT ED PREM A
E 200 AMG LINE PREMIUM MHEV A
E 200 AMG LNE NIGHT ED PREM +A
E 200 AMG LNE PREMIUM + MHEV A
E 200 SPORT MHEV AUTO
E 210
E 220
E 220 AMG LINE D MHEV AUTO
E 220 AMG LINE ED PREM D 4M A
E 220 AMG LINE ED PREM D A
E 220 AMG LINE EDITION D 4M A
E 220 AMG LINE EDITION D AUTO
E 220 AMG LINE PREM D MHEV A
E 220 AMG LINE PREMIUM D AUTO
E 220 AMG LN NGT ED PRM D 4M A
E 220 AMG LNE ED PREM + D 4M A
E 220 AMG LNE NGT ED PRM + D A
E 220 AMG LNE NIGHT ED PRM D A
E 220 AMG LNE PREMIUM D MHEV A
E 220 D
E 220 D AMG LINE AUTO
E 220 D AMG LINE PREMIUM
E 220 D AMG LINE PREMIUM AUTO
E 220 D SE AUTO
E 220 D SE ESTATE
E 220 D SPORT
E 220 EXCLUSIVE ED D MHEV AUTO
E 220 EXCLUSIVE PREM D MHEV A
E 220 EXCLUSIVE PRM + D MHEV A
E 220 SPORT D 4MATIC AUTO
E 220 SPORT D AUTO
E 220 SPORT D MHEV AUTO
E 240

Check a specific Mercedes-Benz E-Class

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz C-Class — 77.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLA — 82.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz Vito — 71.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLC — 85.9% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz CLA — 78.6% adjusted
All Mercedes-Benz models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Skoda Fabia — 70.5% adjusted, ranked 165
Audi A1 — 73.7% adjusted, ranked 126
Nissan Micra — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 233
Peugeot 208 — 68.4% adjusted, ranked 190

Common questions

Is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is well above average. It passes 78.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 69 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 16.7% of failed Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.6% of all Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz E-Class usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 97,206 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Mercedes-Benz E-Class get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.2% of Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 69.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Mercedes-Benz E-Class models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars tested, 83% are diesel, 11% are petrol, 3% are diesel hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.