72.2%
Mercedes-Benz ML pass rate
Used Mercedes-Benz ML buying guide
In 2025, Mercedes-Benz ML cars passed 72.2% of 29,249 initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific ML? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mercedes-Benz ML MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
−0.1
percentage points below average
Ranked on pass rate the ML sits 311th of 575 models in the data. Mercedes-Benz as a brand averaged 77.1%, so this model runs 4.8 points behind its own brand. Mercedes-Benz ML cars 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%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Mercedes-Benz ML MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the ML compares with similar cars.
ML fuel types
Diesel made up 91.4% of Mercedes-Benz ML 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 ML fails its MOT
Where Mercedes-Benz ML 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 (7.8%), position lamp not working (4.9%) and stop lamp not working (4.1%). See every common ML MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Mercedes-Benz ML that failed, not a claim that every ML has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used ML?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at 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.
4
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. 12% of ML 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. 7.2% of ML 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 ML failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes 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 ML 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 ML.
- 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 ML FAQs
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.
Do older Mercedes-Benz ML cars fail their MOT more often?
Mercedes-Benz ML cars 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%. 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 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 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 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.
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.