MOT cost .

Mercedes Benz

320

682 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where 320s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

72.9%

Pass-after-fix

5.3%

Fail

21.1%

Avg miles

122,887

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

320: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 682 MOT tests, the 320 returns 72.9% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. Worn suspension bushes and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 122,887, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    27 occurrences · 4.0% of tests

  2. 02

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    27 occurrences · 4.0% of tests

  3. 03

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    21 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  4. 04

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    15 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  5. 05

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    15 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  6. 06

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    14 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  7. 07

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    13 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  8. 08

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    13 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  9. 09

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    12 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  10. 10

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    12 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£208£605

If every one of this 320's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Buying or keeping a 320?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 320 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.