MOT failure data · 2025

Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT problems

Across every Mercedes-Benz SLC that failed its 2025 MOT, the defect testers recorded most often was condition has ply or cords exposed, on 13.75% of failure items. The broadest problem area was tyres at 40.89%. These are recorded defects across the model, not a diagnosis of any one car.

Most common Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT failures

#	Recorded defect	Area	Share
1	Condition has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	13.75%
2	Condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	10.66%
3	Coil spring fractured or broken	Suspension	10.09%
4	Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	7.72%
5	Ball joint ball joint excessively worn	Suspension	7.11%
6	Ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Suspension	5.66%
7	Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction	Noise, emissions and leaks	3.96%
8	Condition has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure	Tyres	3.66%
9	Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an abs fault	Brakes	3.45%
10	Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Suspension	3.24%

Shares are of all recorded failure items for this model, so they sum to less than 100% — a single failed test often records several defects, and the long tail below the top 10 is not shown.

What this means if you are buying one

Use it as a viewing checklist. If you are looking at a Mercedes-Benz SLC, these are the areas worth inspecting and worth asking about — and worth reading the car's own MOT history for, since a defect that keeps reappearing as an advisory is a better signal than any model-wide average.

The MOT record also has hard limits: it does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it says nothing about outstanding finance, insurance write-off history, stolen markers or whether the mileage is genuine. Our used Mercedes-Benz SLC buying guide covers what to check beyond the MOT.

Checking a specific Mercedes-Benz SLC?

Enter its registration for finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history.

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT FAQs

What does a Mercedes-Benz SLC most commonly fail its MOT on?

The single most recorded defect on Mercedes-Benz SLC cars failing their 2025 MOT was "condition has ply or cords exposed", appearing on 13.75% of failure items.

Does this mean my Mercedes-Benz SLC will fail?

No. This is what testers recorded across every Mercedes-Benz SLC that failed in 2025. It shows where this model tends to need attention, not the condition of any individual car. The Mercedes-Benz SLC passed 86.37% of its initial tests.

How do I see a specific Mercedes-Benz SLC's MOT history?

Enter its registration on our free MOT history check to see that car's own test results, advisories and recorded mileages.

Defect counts from the DVSA MOT Anonymised test-item data for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, failure items only — advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.