Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
67,400 Mercedes-Benz B-Classes are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 72.6% of initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average.
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Mercedes-Benz B-Class at the MOT
72.6% of 71,070 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the B-Class 299th of 575 models. Mercedes-Benz B-Classes aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.3% 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 B-Class tests in 2025.
Where B-Classes fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Mercedes-Benz B-Class tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (6.8%), linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.7%) and joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (4.2%).
The MOT page lists every common B-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 B-Class's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.22.8% of B-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.22.4% of B-Class failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.15.3% of B-Class failure items
Mercedes-Benz B-Classes in the UK
67,400 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 27% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 75,973 at the end of 2021.
- Change since 2014
- +27%from 53,159 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 340against 6,070 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 3,2654.6% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Mercedes-Benz B-Classes since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 53,159 |
| End of 2015 | 58,421 |
| End of 2016 | 63,217 |
| End of 2017 | 67,755 |
| End of 2018 | 70,880 |
| End of 2019 | 74,024 |
| End of 2020 | 75,126 |
| End of 2021 | 75,973 |
| End of 2022 | 75,505 |
| End of 2023 | 73,734 |
| End of 2024 | 71,471 |
| End of 2025 | 69,026 |
| End of June 2026 | 67,400 |
How old they are
Licensed Mercedes-Benz B-Classes by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 263 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 243 | 340 |
| 2024 | 497 | 592 |
| 2023 | 777 | 894 |
| 2022 | 1,212 | 1,287 |
| 2021 | 1,725 | 1,828 |
| 2020 | 2,805 | 2,948 |
| 2019 | 4,128 | 4,356 |
| 2018 | 3,863 | 4,067 |
| 2017 | 5,583 | 5,945 |
| 2016 | 5,223 | 5,632 |
| 2015 | 5,549 | 6,070 |
| 2014 | 7,965 | |
| 2013 | 6,739 | |
| 2012 | 5,310 | |
| 2011 | 3,160 | |
| 2010 | 3,948 | |
| 2009 | 3,616 | |
| 2008 | 2,706 | |
| 2007 | 1,950 | |
| 2006 | 1,369 |
5,549 B-Classes first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 91% of the 6,070 first registered that year.
B-Class engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 30% of Mercedes-Benz B-Class MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 19%. Diesel accounts for 63% of licensed B-Classes and petrol for 34%. Electric examples were 0.6% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 71,050 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed B-Classes
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 22,929 | 34% |
| Diesel | 42,308 | 63% |
| Battery electric | 359 | 0.5% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 495 | 0.7% |
| Hybrid electric | 1,305 | 2% |
| Gas | 4 | <0.1% |
Mercedes-Benz B-Class recalls
46 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every B-Class is affected.
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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.
-
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.
-
Dec 2021 R/2021/402
Update to the diesel engine control unit software to improve the emissions
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- As a result of a directive from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) changes are required to certain specific calibration functions within the engine management systems of certain vehicles.
- Remedy
- Conduct an update to the diesel engine control unit software.
-
Dec 2021 R/2021/399
Update to improve emissions
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- As a result of a directive from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) changes are required to certain specific calibration functions within the engine management systems of certain vehicles.
- Remedy
- Conduct an update to the diesel engine control unit software.
-
Nov 2021 R/2021/376
The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.
-
Jul 2021 R/2021/202
A bore in the universal joint on the steering shaft might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Check the steering shaft on the affected vehicles and replace it if necessary.
-
May 2021 R/2021/110
The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.
-
May 2021 R/2021/120
The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the B-Class's 72.6% MOT pass rate.
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GLA
- Mercedes-Benz Vito
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
Mercedes-Benz B-Class FAQs
How many Mercedes-Benz B-Classes are there in the UK?
67,400 Mercedes-Benz B-Classes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 3,265 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Mercedes-Benz B-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 72.6% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class across 71,070 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Mercedes-Benz B-Class had any recalls?
46 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. The most recent was published in May 2024. 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 B-Class?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. 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 B-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 a B-Class?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 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 July 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.