Know Your MOT

MOT failure rate and common problems for the Mercedes-Benz R350, and how to check your own car by registration.

Updated 05 September 2026.

20.4%fail rate

Mercedes-Benz R350 MOT failure rate

What a Mercedes-Benz R350 fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Other7.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Lamps & electrical4.7% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Tyres4.7% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Visibility/wipers2.3% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Mercedes-Benz R350 headlight and indicator bulbsShop Mercedes-Benz R350 headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Mercedes-Benz R350 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Mercedes-Benz R350 tyresShop Mercedes-Benz R350 tyres on AmazonaffiliateFind Mercedes-Benz R350 tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Mercedes-Benz R350 wiper bladesShop Mercedes-Benz R350 wiper blades on AmazonaffiliateFind Mercedes-Benz R350 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

All Mercedes-Benz models MOT failure rates comparedRanked worst to bestMercedes-Benz C-Class MOT failures22.4% failure rateMercedes-Benz E-Class MOT failures20.5% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Mercedes-Benz R350?

It fails 20.4% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 211 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is other, at 7.0% of this model's failures.