74.6%
Mercedes-Benz CLS pass rate
Used Mercedes-Benz CLS buying guide
In 2025, Mercedes-Benz CLS cars passed 74.6% of 22,393 initial MOT tests, 2.3 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific CLS? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+2.3
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the CLS sits 270th of 575 models in the data. Mercedes-Benz as a brand averaged 77.1%, so this model runs 2.5 points behind its own brand. Mercedes-Benz CLS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 81.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 70.5%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the CLS compares with similar cars.
CLS fuel types
Diesel made up 88.2% of Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT tests in 2025, against 39.3% across all models in this data. Almost every used example you look at will be a diesel.
Where the CLS fails its MOT
Where Mercedes-Benz CLS cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (7.4%), condition has ply or cords exposed (6.9%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (6.8%). See every common CLS MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Mercedes-Benz CLS that failed, not a claim that every CLS has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used CLS?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 24.8% of CLS failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 23% of CLS failure items.
3
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. 18.1% of CLS failure items.
4
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. 13% of CLS failure items.
5
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 5.9% of CLS failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Mercedes-Benz CLS failures cluster around tyres and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact CLS you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Mercedes-Benz history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Mercedes-Benz models
The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the CLS.
- Used Mercedes-Benz A-Class 78.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class 74.7% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz E-Class 77.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLA 83.3% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz Vito 67.3% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLC 86.4% MOT pass rate
See all 35 Mercedes-Benz models ranked by MOT pass rate.
Used Mercedes-Benz CLS FAQs
Is the Mercedes-Benz CLS 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 74.6% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz CLS across 22,393 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Mercedes-Benz CLS cars fail their MOT more often?
Mercedes-Benz CLS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 81.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 70.5%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Mercedes-Benz CLS?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Mercedes-Benz CLS'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.