The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Mercedes-Benz E-Class common problems

What fails on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 230,225 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class's most common MOT problems are tyres, suspension bushes, coil springs, recorded in 50.6%, 30.8% and 11.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (88.4%) and 2005 cars least (66.2%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Mercedes-Benz E-Class that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 230,225 cars.

By component

What wears out on a E-Class

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    50.6% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained16.7%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained13.1%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained10.0%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    30.8% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained15.0%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained6.5%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained3.7%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.1%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Coil springs

    11.9% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained11.9%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  4. 4.Brake pipes

    9.7% of failed tests

    Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

    • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained9.7%

    Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

  5. 5.Parking brake

    9.4% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained5.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained2.1%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained1.7%

  6. 6.Engine management

    8.0% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained5.1%
    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained2.8%

  7. 7.Wheels and fixings

    7.2% of failed tests

    Rims crack or distort on potholes and kerbs; a missing or loose wheel nut is a fitting error rather than wear.

    • “Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel” — explained5.3%
    • “A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud” — explained1.9%

  8. 8.Brake pads and shoes

    7.1% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained5.8%
    • “Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator” — explained1.4%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

By registration year

E-Class problems by year

MOT pass rate for Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2014, up 4.2 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200368%
200468%+0.2
200566%−2.2
200669%+2.7
200771%+2.2
200870%−1.2
200970%+0.0
201069%−1.0
201170%+0.6
201269%−0.7
201371%+2.1
201475%+4.2
201578%+2.6
201681%+3.2
201783%+2.0
201884%+0.8
201986%+1.8
202086%+0.7
202188%+1.6
202288%+0.5

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn E-Class owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Mercedes-Benz E-Class tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the E-Class file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 50.6% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 30.8% of failed tests), and coil springs (recorded in 11.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 230,225 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Mercedes-Benz E-Class year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars registered in 2022 do best at 88.4% and 2005 cars do worst at 66.2%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2014, up 4.2 points on 2013.
Is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class passes 78.5% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
Start with what fails most: tyres, suspension bushes, coil springs. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of