At a Glance
The Mercedes-benz B-class has 12 identified common problems across 3 generations, with the W245 (2005-2011) being the most affected generation and tyres & wheels the most common problem category. Based on 739K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Mercedes-benz B-class common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Mercedes-benz B-class generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Mercedes-benz B-class Generations
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Most Common Mercedes-benz B-class MOT Failures
Every reason Mercedes-benz B-class vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre condition | 12.80% |
| 2 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 7.52% |
| 3 | Driveshaft fault | 6.90% |
| 4 | Number plate lamp not working | 5.45% |
| 5 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 5.31% |
| 6 | Windscreen washer not working | 5.18% |
| 7 | Brake pads or linings worn | 4.78% |
| 8 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 4.11% |
| 9 | Ball joint dust cover split | 4.04% |
| 10 | Stop lamp not working | 3.94% |
| 11 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 3.32% |
| 12 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 3.18% |
| 13 | Brake performance below minimum | 2.96% |
| 14 | Headlamp fault | 2.87% |
| 15 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 2.33% |
| 16 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.22% |
| 17 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 1.97% |
| 18 | Airbag warning light on | 1.60% |
| 19 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.55% |
| 20 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.54% |
| 21 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 1.38% |
| 22 | Position lamp not working | 1.37% |
| 23 | Indicator fault | 1.34% |
| 24 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.30% |
| 25 | Seat belt condition | 0.95% |
| 26 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 0.85% |
| 27 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.57% |
| 28 | Exhaust system fault | 0.48% |
| 29 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.48% |
| 30 | Brake lever fault | 0.44% |
| 31 | Front lamp not working | 0.43% |
| 32 | Parking brake condition | 0.42% |
| 33 | Track rod end worn | 0.36% |
| 34 | ABS fault | 0.33% |
| 35 | Fog lamp not working | 0.31% |
| 36 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.31% |
| 37 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.30% |
| 38 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.27% |
| 39 | Horn not working | 0.25% |
| 40 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.25% |
| 41 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.24% |
| 42 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.23% |
| 43 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.23% |
| 44 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.22% |
| 45 | Steering rack fault | 0.22% |
| 46 | Rear lamp not working | 0.21% |
| 47 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.21% |
| 48 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.19% |
| 49 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.15% |
| 50 | Propshaft fault | 0.14% |
| 51 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.13% |
| 52 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.11% |
| 53 | Front suspension fault | 0.10% |
| 54 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.10% |
| 55 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.09% |
| 56 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.08% |
| 57 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.07% |
| 58 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.07% |
| 59 | Brake pedal fault | 0.06% |
| 60 | Driver door fault | 0.06% |
| 61 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.06% |
| 62 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.06% |
| 63 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.06% |
| 64 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.05% |
| 65 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.05% |
| 66 | Brake caliper fault | 0.05% |
| 67 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.04% |
| 68 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.04% |
| 69 | Engine oil leak | 0.04% |
| 70 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 71 | Front passenger door fault | 0.03% |
| 72 | Driver airbag fault | 0.03% |
| 73 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.03% |
| 74 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.03% |
| 75 | Steering arm worn | 0.03% |
| 76 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.02% |
| 77 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 78 | Electronic parking brake fault | 0.02% |
| 79 | Steering lock fault | 0.02% |
| 80 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.02% |
| 81 | Electronic braking system fault | 0.02% |
| 82 | Exhaust leak | 0.02% |
| 83 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.02% |
| 84 | Rear suspension fault | 0.02% |
| 85 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 86 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.02% |
| 87 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.01% |
| 88 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 89 | Electrical switch fault | 0.01% |
| 90 | Mirror or camera fault | 0.01% |
| 91 | Steering free play excessive | 0.01% |
| 92 | Electric power steering fault | 0.01% |
| 93 | Battery loose or leaking | <0.01% |
| 94 | Brake fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 95 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 96 | Body security fault | <0.01% |
| 97 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 98 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 99 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 100 | Steering operation fault | <0.01% |
| 101 | Brake fluid warning light on | <0.01% |
| 102 | Chassis condition | <0.01% |
| 103 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 104 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 106 | Suspension unit fault | <0.01% |
| 107 | Vehicle structure corrosion | <0.01% |
| 108 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 110 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 112 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | <0.01% |
| 113 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 114 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | <0.01% |
| 116 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 117 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | <0.01% |
| 118 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 119 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 123 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 124 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 125 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 126 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 127 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 129 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 132 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 133 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 135 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 138 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 140 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 142 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 147 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 148 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 152 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 153 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 154 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 155 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 156 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 158 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 162 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 163 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 164 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 165 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 166 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 167 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
Showing all 167 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Mercedes-benz B-class MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Mercedes-benz B-class, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Mercedes-benz B-class problems?
Based on analysis of 739K Mercedes-benz B-class MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 12 identified common problems across 3 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Indicator fault". Tyres & Wheels is the most common problem category.
Which Mercedes-benz B-class generation has the most problems?
The Mercedes-benz B-class W245 (2005-2011) (2005–2011) has the highest number of identified common problems (9). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Mercedes-benz B-class?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Mercedes-benz B-class owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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