78.9%
Mercedes-Benz CL
Mercedes-Benz CL MOT pass rate and common problems
The Mercedes-Benz CL passed 78.9% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 6.6 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was ball joint excessively worn.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the CL compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
77.1%
Mercedes-Benz average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The CL runs 1.8 points ahead of the Mercedes-Benz average. It is 18th of the 35 Mercedes-Benz models in the data. The average CL arrived at its test 19.1 years old with 92,575 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
CL MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years (small sample) | 15 | 86.7% | 14.4 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years (small sample) | 52 | 84.6% | 12.3 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 2,797 | 78.7% | 6.4 pts above |
Too few tests fall into some age groups to compare them reliably. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where CL failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Mercedes-Benz CL cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Brakes and suspension together account for 46.2% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common CL MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Mercedes-Benz CL cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 36.2% of everything testers recorded against failed Mercedes-Benz CL cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a CL
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Suspension
Recorded most often: ball joint excessively worn, pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn, shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak and ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. 16.2% of failure items.
2
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm and condition has ply or cords exposed. 7.3% of failure items.
3
Brakes
Recorded most often: rigid brake pipes excessively corroded and rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements. 6.7% of failure items.
4
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: position lamp not working. 3.7% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific CL has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Mercedes-Benz CL buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Mercedes-Benz CL MOT FAQs
What is the Mercedes-Benz CL MOT pass rate?
78.9% of Mercedes-Benz CL cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 2,866 tests. That is 6.6 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 214th of 575 models.
What does a Mercedes-Benz CL most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Mercedes-Benz CL cars failing their 2025 MOT was ball joint excessively worn, on 8% of failure items. Next were rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (4.2%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.2%).
Which area causes the most Mercedes-Benz CL MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was brakes at 23.7%, followed by suspension at 22.4%.
Does this mean every Mercedes-Benz CL has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Mercedes-Benz CL that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Mercedes-Benz CL's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.