Know Your MOT
19.4%fail rate

Mercedes C250cdi common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Mercedes C250cdi fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 72 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 19.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Mercedes C250cdi in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is tyres, which makes up 42.9% of the Mercedes C250cdi's failures, followed by tyres, lamps & electrical, brakes, other. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Tyres42.9% 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.

Lamps & electrical35.7% 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.

Brakes28.6% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Other7.1% of failures

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

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. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the tyres failure: Mercedes C250cdi tyresSearch Amazon for Mercedes C250cdi tyresaffiliate searchFind Mercedes C250cdi tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Mercedes C250cdi headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mercedes C250cdi headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mercedes C250cdi headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mercedes C250cdi brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mercedes C250cdi brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mercedes C250cdi brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Mercedes Ml MOT failures21.9% failure rateMercedes Motorhome MOT failures23.4% failure rateMercedes Unknown MOT failures20.7% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain