Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA reliable?
The Mercedes-Benz CLA has a first-time MOT pass rate of 80%, from 168,668 tests on cars dating from 2013 to 2022. All cars together manage 71.7%. Once age is allowed for, the CLA is about average: within 0.1 points of a typical car tested at the same age. The cleanest measure of build quality is the first test at three years old, where the CLA scores 86.1% against 87.9% for all cars. Top of the failure list: tyre tread below the legal minimum, on 12.7% of failed tests.
Why Mercedes-Benz CLAs fail the MOT
The CLA's failures cluster around tyres: tyre tread below the legal minimum on 12.7% of fails, a tyre worn or cut to the cords on 12.2%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Tyres are an easy failure to avoid. Check the tread and look for cuts and bulges the week before the test, not on the forecourt.
What testers flag before it fails
These are the advisories most often recorded on a Mercedes-Benz CLA: items that passed on the day but were wearing. Tyre tread below the legal minimum is noted on 16.9% of all tests. If one of these is on a car's last certificate, it is the next repair. The advisory conversion table shows which of these are worth acting on first.
Petrol, diesel or hybrid CLA?
The petrol CLA has the better record at 82.2%; the diesel manages 76.7%. 5.5 points is a real difference.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 82.2% | 100,121 |
| Diesel | 76.7% | 68,379 |
Every CLA year, 2013 to 2022
Pass rates run from 70.8% for 2013 cars to 88% for 2022 cars. Most of that spread is age: a car tested at ten years old has had far more chances to wear something out than one tested at four.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2022 | 88% | 6,409 | 9,244 | 87.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2021 | 86.1% | 12,431 | 9,507 | 85.9% |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2020 | 84.1% | 15,060 | 8,901 | 84.2% |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2019 | 83.8% | 23,297 | 8,289 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2018 | 81.5% | 24,735 | 8,667 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2017 | 79% | 24,423 | 9,180 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2016 | 77.2% | 22,789 | 9,265 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2015 | 75.8% | 20,376 | 9,136 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2014 | 73.7% | 12,867 | 8,837 | – |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 2013 | 70.8% | 6,281 | 8,455 | – |
How mileage changes the CLA's odds
Take the 2018 CLA, the year with the most tests: cars with under 40,000 miles on the clock pass 85.9% of the time, and that falls to 72.3% over 100,000. A 14-point drop across the mileage range is a bigger effect than the difference between most makes.
| Mileage at test (2018 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.9% | 7,944 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.2% | 9,372 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 78% | 4,862 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76.5% | 1,717 |
| Over 100,000 | 72.3% | 838 |
Compared with other cars
The average Mercedes-Benz passes 76.8% of tests, so the CLA is one of the stronger cars in the range. Within the family, see C-Class common problems (74.3%), the A-Class (78.1%), how the E-Class does (77.2%) and how the GLC does (86.5%), or every Mercedes-Benz model compared. For a cross-make comparison, the Audi Q7 and Vauxhall Crossland have similar test volumes and their own pages. The full reliability table puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Each CLA year in detail
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2022 88% pass 6,409 tests87.8% at first MOT
On a 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 23.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 15.3%.
2022 cars pass 88.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 87.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88.8% | 5,503 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.9% | 769 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 73.8% | 103 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 88.5% | 26 |
| Over 100,000 | 87.5% | 8 |
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2021 86.1% pass 12,431 tests85.9% at first MOT
On a 2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 21.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.4%.
2021 cars pass 87.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.5% | 9,003 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.1% | 2,710 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.3% | 577 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.2% | 101 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.5% | 40 |
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2020 84.1% pass 15,060 tests84.2% at first MOT
On a 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 19.8% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.9%.
2020 cars pass 86.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 76.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.1% | 9,886 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.9% | 3,714 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80% | 1,098 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76% | 263 |
| Over 100,000 | 76.5% | 98 |
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2019 83.8% pass 23,297 tests
On a 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 16% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13.9%.
2019 cars pass 86.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 76.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.4% | 12,338 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.6% | 7,541 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 79.4% | 2,529 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.4% | 668 |
| Over 100,000 | 76.1% | 218 |
By fuel: petrol 83.9% (21,346 tests), diesel 82.8% (1,948 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2018 81.5% pass 24,735 tests
On a 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 13.7% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.4%.
2018 cars pass 85.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 72.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.9% | 7,944 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.2% | 9,372 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 78% | 4,862 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76.5% | 1,717 |
| Over 100,000 | 72.3% | 838 |
By fuel: petrol 82% (14,229 tests), diesel 80.7% (10,506 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2017 79% pass 24,423 tests
On a 2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 13% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.5%.
2017 cars pass 85.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 73.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.9% | 3,843 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.4% | 8,098 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.5% | 6,855 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 74.6% | 3,412 |
| Over 100,000 | 73.1% | 2,209 |
By fuel: diesel 78.3% (15,023 tests), petrol 80% (9,400 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2016 77.2% pass 22,789 tests
On a 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a broken coil spring appears on 14.6% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.6%.
2016 cars pass 86.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 71.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.2% | 1,850 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.3% | 5,583 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.1% | 7,108 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 74.2% | 4,738 |
| Over 100,000 | 71.6% | 3,503 |
By fuel: diesel 76.4% (16,669 tests), petrol 79.4% (6,120 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2015 75.8% pass 20,376 tests
On a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a broken coil spring appears on 16.4% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 12.3%.
2015 cars pass 86.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 70.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.5% | 1,132 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.1% | 3,676 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.2% | 5,878 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 73.1% | 4,859 |
| Over 100,000 | 70.2% | 4,828 |
By fuel: diesel 74.9% (13,089 tests), petrol 77.5% (7,287 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2014 73.7% pass 12,867 tests
On a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a broken coil spring appears on 15.3% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 14.3%.
2014 cars pass 86.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 69.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.9% | 609 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 79.8% | 1,704 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 76.4% | 3,255 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 70.6% | 3,274 |
| Over 100,000 | 69.5% | 4,024 |
By fuel: diesel 72.6% (7,993 tests), petrol 75.5% (4,874 tests).
Mercedes-Benz CLA 2013 70.8% pass 6,281 tests
On a 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLA, a broken coil spring appears on 18.5% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 14.7%.
2013 cars pass 83.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 68.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.4% | 193 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 75.7% | 647 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 73% | 1,358 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.1% | 1,779 |
| Over 100,000 | 68.5% | 2,303 |
By fuel: diesel 72.4% (3,151 tests), petrol 69.3% (3,130 tests).
Questions people ask
How reliable is the Mercedes-Benz CLA?
On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz CLA is about average. It passes 80% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 0.1 points. 86.1% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 168,668 DVSA tests.
What fails a Mercedes-Benz CLA MOT most often?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum (12.7% of failed tests), a tyre worn or cut to the cords (12.2%) and a tyre worn or cut to the cords (9.3%). Tyres are an easy failure to avoid. Check the tread and look for cuts and bulges the week before the test, not on the forecourt.
What is the best year for a used Mercedes-Benz CLA?
Among years with a large sample, 2022 cars have the highest pass rate at 88% and 2013 cars the lowest at 70.8%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Mercedes-Benz CLA usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 16.9% of all CLA tests, then brake pads worn below 1.5mm (8.7%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Mercedes-Benz CLA do?
About 8,936 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is close to the UK average of roughly 7,400.
Does the Mercedes-Benz CLA pass rate apply to my car?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Looking at a specific Mercedes-Benz CLA?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 8,936 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.