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Mercedes-Benz CLS, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

20,019 Mercedes-Benz CLS cars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 74.6% of initial MOT tests, 2.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific CLS? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Mercedes-Benz CLS at the MOT

74.6% of 22,393 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the CLS 270th of 575 models. 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%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz CLS74.6%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe CLS is 2.5 pts behind77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Mercedes-Benz CLS tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years1,067 tests81.1%
  • 6 to 10 years8,753 tests79.6%
  • 11 years and over12,514 tests70.5%

Where CLS cars fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Mercedes-Benz CLS tests in 2025.

  • Tyres24.8%
  • Suspension23%
  • Brakes18.1%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks5.9%

The 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%).

The MOT page lists every common CLS MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The CLS's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks 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

Mercedes-Benz CLS cars in the UK

20,019 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 14% since the end of 2014, and 29% from its peak of 28,144 at the end of 2017.

Change since 2014
−14%from 23,240 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
9against 3,641 in 2015
Declared off the road
4,69019% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLS cars since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201423,240
End of 201525,979
End of 201627,790
End of 201728,144
End of 201827,984
End of 201927,688
End of 202027,102
End of 202126,495
End of 202225,479
End of 202323,983
End of 202422,213
End of 202520,901
End of June 202620,019

How old they are

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLS cars by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20227385
2021252283
2020304377
20191,0451,357
20189011,219
20171,4511,803
20162,0032,556
20152,7183,641
20141,636
20132,764
2012973
2011967
2010849
2009830
20081,016
20071,262
2006983
2005715

2,718 CLS cars first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 75% of the 3,641 first registered that year.

CLS engines and fuel

3.0 litre engines made up 49% of Mercedes-Benz CLS MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.1 litre at 30%. Diesel accounts for 89% of licensed CLS cars and petrol for 10%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 22,377 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 3.0 litre48.5%
  • 2.1 litre30.4%
  • 2.9 litre7.9%
  • 3.5 litre6.5%
  • 5.5 litre1.9%

Fuel type, licensed CLS cars

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1,99710%
Diesel17,75189%
Hybrid electric2621%
Gas9<0.1%

Mercedes-Benz CLS recalls

43 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every CLS is affected.

  1. Dec 2024 R/2024/474

    SRPC2419 Misfire Detection M264

    CLS cars built Jan 2021 · 4,619 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The software of the engine control unit might not meet specifications regarding misfire detection.
    Remedy
    Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will update the software of the engine control unit on the affected vehicles.

  2. Oct 2024 R/2024/307

    SRPC2412 - Tightness of Transmission Wiring Harness Connector

    CLS cars built Jun 2018 to May 2021 · 299 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The manufacturer has determined on affected vehicles the electrical connector of the transmission wiring harness might not have been correctly remedied.
    Remedy
    Replace the two-part wiring harness including the connector a with a new one-part variant

  3. Oct 2024 R/2024/305

    SRPC2409 - Tightness of Transmission Wiring Harness Connector

    CLS cars built Jun 2018 to Mar 2022 · 1,798 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The manufacturer has determined on affected vehicles the electrical connector of the transmission wiring harness might not have been correctly remedied.
    Remedy
    Replace the two-part wiring harness including the connector a with a new one-part variant.

  4. Jul 2024 R/2024/268

    SRPC2411 - Parameter Data Set of Airbag Control Unit

    CLS cars built Jan 2021 to Apr 2021 · 7 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the airbag control unit may not correspond to specifications. In the event of an accident the active bonnet may not be triggered.
    Remedy
    Update the airbag control unit software.

  5. Aug 2023 R/2023/223

    On affected vehicles the fuel pump impeller might not meet specifications and may deform

    CLS cars built Mar 2022 to May 2022 · 9,947 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the fuel pump module.

  6. Feb 2023 R/2023/023

    On affected vehicles the aluminium bolts of the steering gear could corrode and break due to the intrusion of moisture

    CLS cars built Oct 2010 to Nov 2016 · 51,251 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the steering gear mounting bolts on the affected vehicles with steel bolts. Should the bolts break or already be broken change the steering gear.

  7. Feb 2023 R/2023/020

    The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications

    CLS cars built Sep 2004 to Jul 2010 · 3,267 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications. In consequence a separation of the glass panel from the vehicle cannot be excluded.
    Remedy
    Check the glass panel and replace the sliding roof if necessary.

  8. Nov 2022 R/2022/310

    The attachment for the 12V battery in the luggage compartment may not withstand the loads in the event of an accident

    CLS cars built Nov 2017 to Jul 2022 · 3,645 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain E-Class vehicles the attachment for the 12V battery in the luggage compartment may not withstand the loads in the event of an accident.
    Remedy
    Install an additional fixation of the 12V battery on the affected vehicles.
How to check a specific CLS for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the CLS's 74.6% MOT pass rate.

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz CLS FAQs

How many Mercedes-Benz CLS cars are there in the UK?

20,019 Mercedes-Benz CLS cars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 4,690 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

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.

Has the Mercedes-Benz CLS had any recalls?

43 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The most recent was published in December 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 CLS?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, 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 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.

Already found a CLS?

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.