Mercedes-Benz SL MOT pass rate and common faults
MOT tests in 2025, published 22 Jun 2026. DVSA publishes a new year each summer.
20,859 Mercedes-Benz SL cars had an MOT in 2025 and 83.0% passed first time. That is above what cars of the same ages scored (64.3%).
Find the year your car was first registered below, then check the faults it is most likely to fail on.
Pass rate by year
Each year's first-time pass rate, with a tick for all cars first used that year. Years with fewer than 300 tests, and cars over 20 years old, are left out. Years with 1,000 or more tests link to a page of their own, with that year's common faults.
| Item | Mercedes-Benz SL | All cars that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91.1% | 83.5% |
| 2018 | 90.6% | 80.9% |
| 2017 | 92.5% | 78.2% |
| 2016 | 89.2% | 74.9% |
| 2015 | 86.7% | 71.9% |
| 2014 | 85.5% | 68.6% |
| 2013 | 81.0% | 65.8% |
| 2012 | 83.6% | 63.5% |
| 2010 | 79.8% | 59.3% |
| 2009 | 80.8% | 58.3% |
| 2008 | 84.1% | 57.2% |
| 2007 | 81.2% | 57.4% |
| 2006 | 82.1% | 57.0% |
| 2005 | 81.9% | 57.6% |
Source: DVSA, tests in 2025, published 22 June 2026.
Common failures
The share of all Mercedes-Benz SL cars tested that failed on, or had fixed at the station, each item. Worth checking before the MOT or before you buy.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn | 1.3% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | 1.2% |
| Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | 1.2% |
| Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | 1.1% |
| Condition: has ply or cords exposed | 1.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | 0.9% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | 0.8% |
| Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | 0.8% |
Source: DVSA, tests in 2025, published 22 June 2026.
Common advisories
Advisories are things the tester noticed that were not bad enough to fail. They often turn into failures later. What advisories mean for the next MOT.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | 9.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | 8.6% |
| Condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | 7.1% |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | 6.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | 5.4% |
| Ball joint: ball joint has slight play | 4.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | 3.6% |
| Wheel bearings: has slight play | 2.6% |
Source: DVSA, tests in 2025, published 22 June 2026.
Typical mileage
Recorded mileage at the MOT. A car well above the range for its age has done more work than most; one far below is worth a closer look at its MOT history.
| Age | Low | Typical | High | All cars, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 9,900 | 15,400 miles | 23,700 | 30,900 |
| 6-8 years | 17,100 | 26,300 miles | 37,000 | 51,800 |
| 9-11 years | 29,100 | 41,600 miles | 56,200 | 73,500 |
| 12-14 years | 34,300 | 48,700 miles | 64,600 | 91,400 |
| 15-17 years | 43,000 | 61,500 miles | 82,700 | 101,600 |
| 18-20 years | 53,000 | 72,000 miles | 94,000 | 106,700 |
| 21+ years | 57,500 | 80,400 miles | 104,700 | 99,200 |
The middle half of cars fall between the low and high figures. Source: DVSA, tests in 2025, published 22 June 2026.
Reliability and recalls
- Mercedes-Benz SL reliability score, adjusted for age and ranked against other models.
- 31 recalls for the Mercedes-Benz SL, from the DVSA recalls list.
- Check if a Mercedes-Benz has been recalled on GOV.UK, using its registration.
- All Mercedes-Benz models and the Mercedes-Benz vehicle history check.
Checking one car?
These figures describe groups of cars. A vehicle history report shows the full MOT history, mileage, outstanding finance, write-offs and stolen records for one registration.
Figures from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing data for MOT tests in 2025, published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Analysis by Motoring Insider. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we work out these figures.
Every dataset we use is listed on our data sources page, with the credit lines on our attribution page.