Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
408,499 Mercedes-Benz A-Classes are licensed in the UK, the 17th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 78.4% of initial MOT tests, 6.1 points above the 72.3% UK average.
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class at the MOT
78.4% of 366,292 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the A-Class 222nd of 575 models. Mercedes-Benz A-Classes aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.9% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 63.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Mercedes-Benz A-Class tests in 2025.
Where A-Classes fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Mercedes-Benz A-Class tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7%), coil spring fractured or broken (6.8%) and brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (5%).
The MOT page lists every common A-Class MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The A-Class's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.21.9% of A-Class failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.18.4% of A-Class failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.18.3% of A-Class failure items
Mercedes-Benz A-Classes in the UK
408,499 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Mercedes-Benz. The number licensed has grown 144% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +144%from 167,420 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2018half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2018 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 15,635against 53,737 in 2019
- Declared off the road
- 14,9603.5% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Mercedes-Benz A-Classes since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 167,420 |
| End of 2015 | 185,594 |
| End of 2016 | 215,280 |
| End of 2017 | 243,731 |
| End of 2018 | 274,882 |
| End of 2019 | 317,447 |
| End of 2020 | 342,154 |
| End of 2021 | 363,986 |
| End of 2022 | 376,317 |
| End of 2023 | 385,948 |
| End of 2024 | 399,412 |
| End of 2025 | 406,037 |
| End of June 2026 | 408,499 |
How old they are
Licensed Mercedes-Benz A-Classes by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 4,779 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15,197 | 15,635 |
| 2024 | 21,723 | 22,752 |
| 2023 | 17,360 | 18,130 |
| 2022 | 17,621 | 18,975 |
| 2021 | 28,470 | 30,748 |
| 2020 | 34,780 | 37,562 |
| 2019 | 48,647 | 53,737 |
| 2018 | 39,820 | 43,546 |
| 2017 | 40,038 | 43,790 |
| 2016 | 37,604 | 41,189 |
| 2015 | 26,396 | 29,695 |
| 2014 | 22,841 | |
| 2013 | 14,955 | |
| 2012 | 4,968 | |
| 2011 | 5,040 | |
| 2010 | 5,562 | |
| 2009 | 5,983 | |
| 2008 | 5,564 | |
| 2007 | 4,777 | |
| 2006 | 3,217 |
26,396 A-Classes first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 29,695 first registered that year.
A-Class engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 32% of Mercedes-Benz A-Class MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.3 litre at 27%. Diesel accounts for 43% of licensed A-Classes and petrol for 41%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 366,245 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed A-Classes
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 167,448 | 41% |
| Diesel | 173,925 | 43% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 17,349 | 4% |
| Hybrid electric | 49,771 | 12% |
| Gas | 6 | <0.1% |
Mercedes-Benz A-Class recalls
92 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every A-Class is affected.
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Apr 2026 R/2026/098
SRPC2601 - Interior Door Handle Release
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain CLA (174 platform) A-Class (177 platform) and GLA (247 platform) vehicles the bowden cable of the release mechanism of one or more doors might not have been properly mounted.
- Remedy
- As a precautionary measure Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will check the bowden cables of the doors on the affected vehicles and mount them correctly if necessary.
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Apr 2025 R/2025/131
SRPC2503 - Variant of rear axle brake hose
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain A-Class (177 platform) and CLA (118 platform) vehicles the length of the brake hoses on the rear axle might not meet specifications.
- Remedy
- As a remedy Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will check the brake hoses on the rear axle on the affected vehicles and replace them if necessary.
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May 2024 R/2024/166
SRPC2404 - Backup function of steering software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the backup function of the steering software might not meet specifications. As a result the steering power support might be impaired and a loss of steerability cannot be ruled out.
- Remedy
- Update the software of the electric steering on the affected vehicles.
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Feb 2024 R/2024/024
On affected vehicles the panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof might not have been bonded correctly during a prior service repair
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Check the front fixed element of the panoramic sliding sunroof and replace if necessary.
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Jul 2023 R/2023/190
On affected vehicles the equipped tyres might not meet the load requirements
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Check and change the tyres if necessary.
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Jul 2023 R/2023/185
On affected vehicles the corrosion protection of the integral carrier of the front axle might not be sustained over the lifetime of the vehicle
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the front axle carrier.
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Mar 2023 R/2023/062
Affected vehicles have an engine control unit software that deviates from the local legal requirements
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the diesel engine control unit software.
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Mar 2022 R/2022/062
Bolting on brake caliper housing might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The bolting on the brake caliper housing might not meet torque specifications.
- Remedy
- Check and if necessary rework the bolting of the brake caliper housings on the affected vehicles.
A-Class vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the A-Class's 78.4% MOT pass rate.
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Mercedes-Benz Vito
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
- Mercedes-Benz CLA
Mercedes-Benz A-Class FAQs
How many Mercedes-Benz A-Classes are there in the UK?
408,499 Mercedes-Benz A-Classes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 14,960 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 78.4% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class across 366,292 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Mercedes-Benz A-Class had any recalls?
92 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The most recent was published in April 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Mercedes-Benz A-Class?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Mercedes-Benz A-Class's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an A-Class?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mercedes-Benz history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mercedes-Benz VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.