87.1%
Mercedes-Benz GLE
Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT pass rate and common problems
The Mercedes-Benz GLE passed 87.1% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 14.8 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the GLE 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 GLE runs 10 points ahead of the Mercedes-Benz average. It is 5th of the 35 Mercedes-Benz models in the data. The average GLE arrived at its test 6.3 years old with 57,632 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.
GLE MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
Mercedes-Benz GLE cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.1% of MOT tests. For cars aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 86.5%, a drop of 1.6 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 13,288 | 88.1% | 15.8 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 17,787 | 86.5% | 14.2 pts above |
| 11 years and over (small sample) | 5 | 80% | 7.7 pts above |
That is a smaller decline than most cars show. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where GLE failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Mercedes-Benz GLE cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and brakes together account for 58.6% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common GLE MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Mercedes-Benz GLE cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 68.7% of everything testers recorded against failed Mercedes-Benz GLE cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a GLE
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords and condition has ply or cords exposed. 42.9% of failure items.
2
Suspension
Recorded most often: coil spring fractured or broken and ball joint excessively worn. 7.3% of failure items.
3
Noise, emissions and leaks
Recorded most often: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction. 4.4% of failure items.
4
Identification of the vehicle
Recorded most often: registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements. 4.2% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific GLE has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Mercedes-Benz GLE buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT FAQs
What is the Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT pass rate?
87.1% of Mercedes-Benz GLE cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 33,871 tests. That is 14.8 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 88th of 575 models.
What does a Mercedes-Benz GLE most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Mercedes-Benz GLE cars failing their 2025 MOT was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, on 21.3% of failure items. Next were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12.9%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (8.8%).
Which area causes the most Mercedes-Benz GLE MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 49.4%, followed by brakes at 9.3%.
Do older Mercedes-Benz GLE cars fail their MOT more often?
Mercedes-Benz GLE cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.1% of MOT tests in 2025, against 86.5% for cars aged 6 to 10 years.
Does this mean every Mercedes-Benz GLE has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Mercedes-Benz GLE 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 GLE'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.