MOT performance

Mercedes-Benz C-Class hybrid: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 38,446 MOT tests on hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs in 2023–2024 (on average 5.3 years old at test, median 59,378 miles), 84.8% passed first time, against 73.5% of 465,960 diesel Mercedes-Benz C-Class tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs failed about as often as comparable cars — 0.98× against 0.85× for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class as a whole.

38,446 MOT tests on 19,881 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

Mercedes-Benz C-Class hybrid MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	84.8%	±0.4 pts (95%), n = 38,446
All Mercedes-Benz C-Classs	74.5%	n = 766,949
Failures vs similar cars	0.98×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Mercedes-Benz C-Class overall 0.85×
Tests with a dangerous defect	7.5%	n = 38,446
Average age at test	5.3 years	n = 38,446
Registration years covered	2014–2022	DVSA first-use date

Hybrid against the other Mercedes-Benz C-Class fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The hybrid cars were tested 4.2 years younger on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Diesel	465,960	9.5 yrs	73.5%	-13%	9.4%
Petrol	261,620	11.2 yrs	74.8%	-20%	7.6%
Hybrid	38,446	5.3 yrs	84.8%	-2%	7.5%

Where hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs differ

Body, chassis and structure: hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs failed 252% more often than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class overall, relative to comparable cars (1.00× vs 0.28×).
Noise, emissions and leaks: hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs failed 139% more often than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class overall, relative to comparable cars (2.50× vs 1.04×).
Seat belts and airbags: hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs failed 52% more often than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class overall, relative to comparable cars (1.34× vs 0.88×).
Brakes: hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Classs failed 44% less often than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class overall, relative to comparable cars (0.48× vs 0.86×).

Mercedes-Benz C-Class hybrid MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Hybrid (vs similar)	All Mercedes-Benz C-Classs (vs similar)
Tyres	8.5% (+50%)	7.8% (+15%)
Suspension	2.8% (+40%)	9.9% (+2%)
Driver's view of the road	1.7% (-42%)	2.6% (-45%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	1.7% (-64%)	6.4% (-46%)
Brakes	1.1% (-52%)	6.4% (-13%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	1.0% (+150%)	3.5% (+4%)
Road wheels	0.7% (+158%)	0.8% (+87%)
Body, chassis and structure	0.4% (Same)	1.1% (-72%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.3% (+45%)	0.4% (+12%)
Seat belts and airbags	0.3% (+34%)	1.0% (-12%)

Most common hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class failure items

1 of these 5 items is not among the Mercedes-Benz C-Class's ten most common failures overall.

Most common hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	3.05%
Condition: has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	2.36%
Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	1.93%
Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn	Suspension	1.78%
Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure	Tyres	0.93%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	hybrid pass rate (tests)	diesel pass rate (tests)	petrol pass rate (tests)
3-4	88.5% (8,914)	87.0% (33,056)	88.5% (31,824)
5-6	84.8% (11,177)	82.8% (77,780)	85.8% (43,973)
7-8	82.2% (12,922)	79.2% (98,573)	83.4% (28,485)
9-10	79.8% (862)	73.0% (83,904)	79.0% (23,726)
11-12	—	66.4% (68,379)	73.6% (25,550)
13-15	—	62.5% (55,468)	67.5% (35,569)
16+	—	58.1% (43,232)	61.0% (71,161)

Mercedes-Benz C-Class by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.