Know Your MOT
25.5%fail rate

Mercedes Camper common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 8,698 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 25.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Mercedes Camper in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 46.6% of the Mercedes Camper's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, visibility/wipers. 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

Lamps & electrical46.6% 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.

Brakes42.4% 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.

Suspension21.3% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Visibility/wipers16.2% 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.

Other12.7% of failures

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

Exhaust & emissions12.6% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199331.2% fail · 128 tests
199431.5% fail · 127 tests
199531.9% fail · 138 tests
199636.7% fail · 166 tests
199729.5% fail · 251 tests
199826.0% fail · 292 tests
199926.0% fail · 354 tests
200024.8% fail · 306 tests
200119.9% fail · 251 tests
200221.6% fail · 597 tests
200319.5% fail · 621 tests
200419.8% fail · 394 tests
200523.0% fail · 434 tests
200612.0% fail · 383 tests
200718.8% fail · 441 tests
200815.6% fail · 180 tests

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 lamps & electrical failure: Mercedes Camper headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mercedes Camper headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mercedes Camper headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mercedes Camper brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mercedes Camper brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mercedes Camper brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mercedes Camper suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mercedes Camper suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mercedes Camper suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Mercedes Camper wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Mercedes Camper wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Mercedes Camper wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mercedes Camper exhaustSearch Amazon for Mercedes Camper exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mercedes Camper exhaust 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 · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain