Mercedes Benz CLK MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Mercedes Benz CLK took 32,389 MOT tests in Britain and passed 62% of them first time, below the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 32,389
- First-time pass rate
- 62%
- All cars
- 71%
What the CLK fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Suspension18.8% (all cars 9.0%)
- Lights and electrics14.2% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes10.2% (all cars 6.8%)
- Tyres7.9% (all cars 6.4%)
- Visibility5.3% (all cars 4.8%)
- Exhaust and emissions5.0% (all cars 3.1%)
- Steering3.0% (all cars 1.8%)
- Body and structure2.6% (all cars 3.5%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 7.1%
- Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint excessively worn 6.7%
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 3.6%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 3.0%
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 2.8%
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 2.4%
- Position lamp: not working 2.4%
- SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 2.3%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 19.7%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 19.4%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 9.0%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 7.3%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 7.2%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 7.1%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 6.3%
- Wheel bearings: has slight play 6.2%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,023 | 67% |
| 2000 | 1,343 | 67% |
| 2001 | 1,607 | 68% |
| 2002 | 1,923 | 64% |
| 2003 | 3,485 | 62% |
| 2004 | 4,533 | 60% |
| 2005 | 4,520 | 61% |
| 2006 | 3,633 | 61% |
| 2007 | 4,067 | 60% |
| 2008 | 2,797 | 62% |
| 2009 | 3,051 | 60% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 14 years | 94,638 miles |
| 15 years | 100,941 miles |
| 16 years | 103,627 miles |
| 17 years | 105,351 miles |
| 18 years | 106,359 miles |
| 19 years | 105,038 miles |
| 20 years | 105,920 miles |
Check a particular CLK
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Mercedes Benz models
- Mercedes Benz C Class
- Mercedes Benz A Class
- Mercedes Benz E Class
- Mercedes Benz Vito
- Mercedes Benz GLA
- Mercedes Benz GLC
- Mercedes Benz B Class
- Mercedes Benz SLK
- Mercedes Benz CLA
- Mercedes Benz ML
- Mercedes Benz S Class
- Mercedes Benz GLE
- Mercedes Benz CLS
- Mercedes Benz Sprinter
- Mercedes Benz SL
- Mercedes Benz Citan
- Mercedes Benz V Class
- Mercedes Benz CLC
- Mercedes Benz SLC
- Mercedes Benz Viano
- Mercedes Benz GL
- Mercedes Benz X Class
- Mercedes Benz CL
- Mercedes Benz 190
- Mercedes Benz 300
- Mercedes Benz GLS
- Mercedes Benz R Class
- Mercedes Benz A 200
- Mercedes Benz G Class
- Mercedes Benz C 320
- Mercedes Benz GT
- Mercedes Benz 500
- Mercedes Benz 280
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.