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

1,364 Mercedes-Benz R-Classes are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 72.2% of initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average.

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

Mercedes-Benz R-Class at the MOT

72.2% of 1,761 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the R-Class 310th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz R-Class72.2%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe R-Class is 4.9 pts behind77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Where R-Classes fail

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

  • Brakes28%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment26.3%
  • Body, chassis, structure10.6%
  • Tyres8.8%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks8.5%

The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (7.6%), position lamp not working (7%) and rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (5.5%).

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

Full Mercedes-Benz R-Class MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

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

  1. 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.28% of R-Class failure items

  2. 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.26.3% of R-Class failure items

  3. Body, chassis, structure

    Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels.10.6% of R-Class failure items

Mercedes-Benz R-Classes in the UK

1,364 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 64% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−64%from 3,817 licensed
Typical year of first use
2010half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2010 or earlier
Declared off the road
69834% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz R-Classes since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20143,817
End of 20153,765
End of 20163,681
End of 20173,525
End of 20183,351
End of 20193,065
End of 20202,813
End of 20212,595
End of 20222,327
End of 20231,982
End of 20241,685
End of 20251,457
End of June 20261,364

How old they are

Licensed Mercedes-Benz R-Classes by year of first use.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
2013134
2012255
2011300
2010161
2009111
2008146
2007171
2006159

R-Class engines and fuel

3.0 litre engines made up 71% of Mercedes-Benz R-Class MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.5 litre at 25%. Diesel accounts for 92% of licensed R-Classes and petrol for 7.9%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 1,755 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 3.0 litre70.9%
  • 3.5 litre25.1%
  • 5.0 litre3.4%

Fuel type, licensed R-Classes

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1088%
Diesel1,25292%
Gas40.3%

Mercedes-Benz R-Class recalls

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

  1. 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

    R-Classes 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.

  2. 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

    R-Classes 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.

  3. 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

    R-Classes 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.

  4. 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

    R-Classes 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.

  5. Aug 2021 R/2021/279

    The driver's air bag may have a chemical change to its propellant over time

    R-Classes built Aug 2004 to Dec 2013 · 61 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The driver's airbag may have a chemical change to its propellant over time.
    Remedy
    Replace the driver's airbag

  6. Aug 2021 R/2021/277

    The driver's air bag may have a chemical change to its propellant over time

    R-Classes built Aug 2004 to Dec 2013 · 108,486 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The driver's airbag may have a chemical change to its propellant over time.
    Remedy
    Replace the driver's airbag.

  7. Jan 2012 R/2011/172

    Fuel may leak

    R-Classes built Jan 2009 to Dec 2011 · 22,298 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Fuel leaks in the plug area of the drain opening may occur at the fuel filter with integrated fuel heaters. Fuel can escape and is noticeable to the customer due to a corresponding diesel odour. The diesel can reach the road and as a result friction between the tyres and road surface may be decreased.
    Remedy
    Check filter and replace as necessary.

  8. Jan 2011 R/2010/205

    Fuel may leak

    2,972 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Fuel may leak from the fuel filter housing onto the road surface and thereby make the road slippery for road users.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the fuel filter housing if it is leaking.
How to check a specific R-Class for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

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

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz R-Class FAQs

How many Mercedes-Benz R-Classes are there in the UK?

1,364 Mercedes-Benz R-Classes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 698 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mercedes-Benz R-Class 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 R-Class across 1,761 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mercedes-Benz R-Class had any recalls?

12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz R-Class. The most recent was published in September 2022. 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 R-Class?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and body, chassis, structure. 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 R-Class'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 R-Class?

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.