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

15,439 Mercedes-Benz V-Classes are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 82.1% of initial MOT tests, 9.8 points above the 72.3% UK average.

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

Mercedes-Benz V-Class at the MOT

82.1% of 14,023 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the V-Class 170th of 575 models. Mercedes-Benz V-Classes aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 66.4%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz V-Class82.1%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe V-Class is 5 pts ahead77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Mercedes-Benz V-Class tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years3,266 tests84.1%
  • 6 to 10 years8,543 tests80.9%
  • 11 years and over651 tests66.4%

Where V-Classes fail

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

  • Suspension26%
  • Tyres24.8%
  • Brakes18.1%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9.2%
  • Visibility7%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (9.5%), condition has ply or cords exposed (7.1%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7%).

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

Full Mercedes-Benz V-Class MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

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

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.26% of V-Class failure items

  2. 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 V-Class 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 V-Class failure items

Mercedes-Benz V-Classes in the UK

15,439 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 276% since the end of 2016.

Change since 2016
+276%from 4,106 licensed
First registered in 2025
1,634against 2,314 in 2019
Declared off the road
1,2657.6% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz V-Classes since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20141,939
End of 20152,810
End of 20164,106
End of 20175,754
End of 20187,455
End of 20199,142
End of 20209,480
End of 202110,332
End of 202210,850
End of 202311,966
End of 202413,365
End of 202514,532
End of June 202615,439

V-Class engine sizes

2.1 litre engines made up 64% of Mercedes-Benz V-Class MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 30%. Diesel accounts for 100% of licensed V-Classes.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 14,022 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.1 litre64.5%
  • 2.0 litre30.4%
  • 2.2 litre1.9%
  • 3.5 litre1.9%

Mercedes-Benz V-Class recalls

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

  1. Nov 2024 R/2024/475

    SRPC2420 - Fastening of Steering Wheel Height Adjustment

    V-Classes built Feb 2024 · 1 vehicle across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The fastening of the steering wheel height adjustment might not meet specifications.
    Remedy
    Mercedes-Benz AG via its Mercedes-Benz service partners will replace the steering column tube on the affected vehicles.

  2. Jan 2023 R/2023/011

    On affected vehicles the routing of the fuel filter drainpipe might not meet specifications. The drainpipe could come into contact with the underbody and become damaged leading to a diesel leak

    V-Classes built Oct 2020 to Jul 2021 · 3 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the drainpipe with a drain plug on the affected vehicles.

  3. Nov 2022 R/2022/335

    The routing of the interior wiring harness in the area of the centre console might not meet specifications

    V-Classes built Jun 2020 to Oct 2020 · 8 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain righthand drive VClass (447 platform) vehicles the routing of the interior wiring harness in the area of the centre console might not meet specifications.
    Remedy
    Check the wiring harness on the affected vehicles and rework it if necessary.

  4. May 2022 R/2022/005

    The coolant pump might have a leakage between the vacuum system and the coolant circuit

    V-Classes built Jan 2019 to Nov 2021 · 1,800 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain vehicles with an OM654 engine the coolant pump which is controlled by vacuum might have a leakage between the vacuum system and the coolant circuit.
    Remedy
    Update the software of the coolant pump and replace the electrical switch valve on the affected vehicles.

  5. May 2022 R/2022/118

    The behaviour of the emergency call system might not meet specifications

    V-Classes built May 2016 to Sep 2020 · 79 vehicles across the whole recall

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

  6. May 2022 R/2022/093

    A component on the electronic circuit board of the air bag control unit could be damaged or displaced

    V-Classes built Jun 2021 to Jul 2021 · 4 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain vehicles with the highline version of the airbag control unit a component on the electronic circuit board of the airbag control unit could be damaged or displaced.
    Remedy
    Replace the airbag control unit on the affected vehicles.

  7. Mar 2022 R/2022/038

    The crankshaft might not meet specifications

    V-Classes built Jul 2020 · 3 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On certain vehicles with an OM654 classic engine the crankshaft might not meet specifications.
    Remedy
    Replace the engines on the affected vehicles.

  8. Jan 2022 R/2021/189

    Vehicles could be equipped with a front axle brake calliper carrier which could have been manufactured outside the specifications

    V-Classes built Feb 2021 to Mar 2021 · 15 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check the brake calliper carriers on the front axle and as a precautionary measure renew any front axle brake calliper carrier should it be part of the affected batch.
How to check a specific V-Class for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the V-Class's 82.1% MOT pass rate.

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz V-Class FAQs

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

15,439 Mercedes-Benz V-Classes were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,265 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mercedes-Benz V-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 an 82.1% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz V-Class across 14,023 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

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

38 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. The most recent was published in November 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 V-Class?

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