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

25,103 Mercedes-Benz MLs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 72.2% of initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average.

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Mercedes-Benz ML at the MOT

72.2% of 29,249 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the ML 311th of 575 models. Mercedes-Benz MLs aged 6 to 10 years passed 81.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 70.3%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz ML72.2%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe ML is 4.9 pts behind77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Mercedes-Benz ML tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years5,191 tests81.1%
  • 11 years and over24,057 tests70.3%

Where MLs fail

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

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment28.2%
  • Brakes18.4%
  • Suspension15.1%
  • Tyres12%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks7.2%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (7.8%), position lamp not working (4.9%) and stop lamp not working (4.1%).

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

Full Mercedes-Benz ML MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The ML's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. 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.28.2% of ML failure items

  2. 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.18.4% of ML failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.15.1% of ML failure items

Mercedes-Benz MLs in the UK

25,103 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 60% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−60%from 62,112 licensed
Typical year of first use
2012half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2012 or earlier
First registered in 2025
7against 3,768 in 2015
Declared off the road
12,12833% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz MLs since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201462,112
End of 201563,081
End of 201660,493
End of 201756,250
End of 201851,774
End of 201946,991
End of 202043,800
End of 202140,529
End of 202237,159
End of 202333,348
End of 202429,722
End of 202526,666
End of June 202625,103

How old they are

Licensed Mercedes-Benz MLs by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 147 were first used before 2000.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20153,1153,768
20143,775
20134,029
20122,359
20112,195
20102,147
20091,492
20081,567
20071,398
20061,098
2005611
2004811
2003608
2002510
2001283
2000234

3,115 MLs first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 83% of the 3,768 first registered that year.

ML engines and fuel

3.0 litre engines made up 53% of Mercedes-Benz ML MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.1 litre at 25%. Diesel accounts for 92% of licensed MLs and petrol for 7.4%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 29,194 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 3.0 litre53%
  • 2.1 litre24.8%
  • 2.7 litre7.8%
  • 3.5 litre5%
  • 3.2 litre2.2%

Fuel type, licensed MLs

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1,8527%
Diesel23,19992%
Hybrid electric1<0.1%
Gas510.2%

Mercedes-Benz ML recalls

36 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz ML. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every ML is affected.

  1. 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

    MLs built Sep 2011 to Feb 2017 · 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.

  2. Feb 2023 R/2023/021

    On affected vehicles water might accumulate in the spare wheel well. The water could briefly come into contact with the fuel pump control unit impairing the fuel supply to the engine

    MLs built Sep 2011 to Nov 2018 · 31,569 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Install a water drain plug in the spare wheel well check for water infiltration and replace the fuel pump control unit if necessary.

  3. Sep 2022 R/2022/279

    The function of the brake booster might be affected due to advanced corrosion in the joint area of its housing

    MLs built Mar 2005 to Feb 2013 · 218 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace brake booster in vehicles that have not passed XENTRY test and require part replacement.

  4. Sep 2022 R/2022/278

    The function of the brake booster might be affected due to advanced corrosion in the joint area of its housing

    MLs built Mar 2005 to Feb 2013 · 6,442 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace brake booster in vehicles that have not passed XENTRY test and require part replacement.

  5. May 2022 R/2022/140

    The function of the brake booster might be affected due to advanced corrosion in the joint area of its housing

    MLs built Mar 2005 to Feb 2013 · 1,631 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check the brake booster on the affected vehicles and - depending on the result of this inspection - replace it where necessary.

  6. May 2022 R/2022/137

    The function of the brake booster might be affected due to advanced corrosion in the joint area of its housing

    MLs built Mar 2005 to Feb 2013 · 31,666 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check the brake booster on the affected vehicles and - depending on the result of this inspection - replace it where necessary.

  7. Dec 2021 R/2021/130

    The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications

    MLs built Jan 2016 to Jan 2021 · 21 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.

  8. Dec 2021 R/2021/106

    The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications

    MLs built Jan 2016 to Jan 2021 · 23 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Update the software of the communication module for the emergency call system.
How to check a specific ML for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the ML's 72.2% MOT pass rate.

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz ML FAQs

How many Mercedes-Benz MLs are there in the UK?

25,103 Mercedes-Benz MLs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 12,128 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mercedes-Benz ML 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 72.2% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz ML across 29,249 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mercedes-Benz ML had any recalls?

36 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz ML. The most recent was published in February 2023. 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 ML?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. 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 ML'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 an ML?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 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 October 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.