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Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A MOT Pass Rate

Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 6,521 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 35.0%.

65.0%
Pass Rate
35.0%
Fail Rate
6,521
Total Tests
Suspension
Top Failure

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A MOT Reliability Overview

The Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 6,521 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 65.0% and a failure rate of 35.0%, which is around the UK average of approximately 37%.

Based on this data, the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A earns a "Average" reliability rating. The average Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A presents for MOT with approximately 100,767 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2007 models achieve the highest pass rate at 75.0%, while 2003 models have the lowest at 59.9%. This 15.1 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.

The most common MOT failure for the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A is Suspension, affecting 28.2% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Brakes at 20.9%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 19.9%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.

Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.

What Fails Most

⚖️ Compare

Best Year to Buy

📊
Insufficient data per manufacture year for this analysis

📈 How Each Vintage Ages

Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 4 vintages — click year chips to highlight.

Multi-line chart showing how different Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.

Pass Rate %

Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.

📉 How Age Affects Reliability

MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).

24.7%
Fail rate at end of warranty (year 3)
21.7%
Fail rate after warranty (year 4)
-12.1%
Cliff increase

Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 13 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.

Fail Rate %Warranty expires
This model Fleet average Warranty expiry

💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?

The Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 19% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 13 (42.6% fail rate).

Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.

Pass Rate by Manufacture Year

75.0%
Tests Avg Mileage 98,762Top Failure Brakes
70.7%
Tests Avg Mileage 84,034Top Failure Brakes
67.8%
Tests Avg Mileage 94,190Top Failure Suspension
2004High Fail Rate
62.8%
Tests Avg Mileage 101,580Top Failure Suspension
2003High Fail Rate
59.9%
Tests Avg Mileage 114,293Top Failure Suspension
2002High Fail Rate
62.0%
Tests Avg Mileage 124,698Top Failure Suspension

* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Suspension33.2%2,164
2Brakes26.7%1,738
3Tyres24.6%1,602
4Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment23.2%1,510
5Steering6.1%399
6Driver's View Of The Road6.1%397
7Registration Plates And Vin2.7%175
8Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions2.0%132
9Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems1.3%88
10Road Wheels1.0%64
11Body, Structure And General Items0.3%18
12Items Not Tested0.3%18
13Non-component Advisories0.2%15

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 100,767 mi

For every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.

Suspension3.29% per 10K miBrakes2.64% per 10K miTyres2.44% per 10K miLamps & Electrical2.30% per 10K miSteering0.61% per 10K miVisibility0.60% per 10K miRegistration Plates and VIN0.27% per 10K miEmissions & Exhaust0.20% per 10K miSeat Belts0.13% per 10K miWheels0.10% per 10K miBody & Structure0.03% per 10K miItems Not Tested0.03% per 10K miNon-component advisories0.02% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Suspension3.2933.2%2,164
Brakes2.6426.7%1,738
Tyres2.4424.6%1,602
Lamps & Electrical2.3023.2%1,510
Steering0.616.1%399
Visibility0.606.1%397
Registration Plates and VIN0.272.7%175
Emissions & Exhaust0.202.0%132
Seat Belts0.131.3%88
Wheels0.101.0%64
Body & Structure0.030.3%18
Items Not Tested0.030.3%18
Non-component advisories0.020.2%15

🚗 Similar Cars to Consider

🚗
No comparable models

Mileage at MOT

100,767
Mean
74,340
Median
53,582
25th Percentile
87,535
75th Percentile

The average Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A has 100,767 miles when tested for MOT.

📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate

How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.

3.47%
Fail Rate per 10K Miles
Average across all makes: 5.38%
35.0%
Overall Fail Rate
100,767 avg miles
✅ Good — below average failure rate

The Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.47% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.

About Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A MOT Data

The Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 6,521 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 65.0% and a failure rate of 35.0%, which is around the UK average of approximately 37%.

For Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A owners, these results suggest average reliability — some preparation before MOT can improve pass chances. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and brakes for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A is likely to perform.

Suspension — 28.2% of failures

Suspension issues account for 28.2% of MOT failures on the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.

Brakes — 20.9% of failures

Brakes issues account for 20.9% of MOT failures on the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.9% of failures

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 19.9% of MOT failures on the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A?

Based on 6,521 MOT tests in our database, the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A has an overall pass rate of 65.0% (35.0% fail rate).

What are the most common MOT failures on a Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A?

The top 3 reasons a Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (28.2%), 2. Brakes (20.9%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (19.9%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.

Is the Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A reliable?

With a 35.0% MOT failure rate, the C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A is about average compared to the UK average of ~40%.

What should I check before an MOT on my Mercedes C220 Cdi Avantgde Se A?

Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (28.2%); Brakes (20.9%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (19.9%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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