Mercedes Benz SL MOT Check

MOT pass rates, common failures, and reliability data for the Mercedes Benz SL. Check any SL by registration number below.

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86.9%

Avg Pass Rate

-3.3%

vs Mercedes Benz Avg

Year Ranges

Excellent

Reliability

Mercedes Benz SL — MOT Reliability Overview

The Mercedes Benz SL has an average MOT pass rate of 86.9%, which is 3.3 percentage points below the Mercedes Benz brand average of 90.2%. This is a strong result, indicating that the SL is well-engineered and tends to age well mechanically. Owners can expect fewer surprises at MOT time.

The most common reasons a Mercedes Benz SL fails its MOT are windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc. If you are preparing your SL for its MOT, checking these areas first could save you a retest fee. Our detailed fault analysis includes estimated repair costs for each failure type.

Before buying a used Mercedes Benz SL, we recommend checking the full MOT history, write-off status, outstanding finance, and stolen vehicle status. These checks can be done for free using the registration number.

MOT Pass Rate by Year

How the Mercedes Benz SL performs at MOT across different model years.

2019

Based on 1,176 vehicles

95.6%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.0%

Retest Rate

3.5%

Mileage at 5yr

32k mi

2018

Based on 1,339 vehicles

92.2%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.3%

Retest Rate

10.4%

Mileage at 5yr

34k mi

2017

Based on 2,379 vehicles

93.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.7%

Retest Rate

6.9%

Mileage at 5yr

41k mi

2016

Based on 2,876 vehicles

93.3%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.2%

Retest Rate

7.0%

2015

Based on 2,833 vehicles

91.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.4%

Retest Rate

9.2%

Mileage at 10yr

69k mi

2014

Based on 3,673 vehicles

90.6%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.1%

Retest Rate

10.9%

Mileage at 10yr

73k mi

2013

Based on 3,627 vehicles

88.0%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.6%

Retest Rate

12.0%

Mileage at 10yr

74k mi

2012

Based on 1,453 vehicles

87.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.2%

Retest Rate

9.9%

Mileage at 10yr

70k mi

2011

Based on 784 vehicles

89.2%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.5%

Retest Rate

10.9%

2010

Based on 1,178 vehicles

85.7%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.4%

Retest Rate

15.8%

2009

Based on 1,517 vehicles

84.8%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

3.2%

Retest Rate

17.7%

2008

Based on 2,519 vehicles

87.7%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.1%

Retest Rate

11.8%

2007

Based on 2,398 vehicles

86.4%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.8%

Retest Rate

12.8%

2006

Based on 2,460 vehicles

85.2%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

3.0%

Retest Rate

12.9%

2005

Based on 3,313 vehicles

86.6%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.5%

Retest Rate

13.6%

2004

Based on 5,471 vehicles

86.4%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.9%

Retest Rate

13.8%

2003

Based on 6,978 vehicles

84.8%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.8%

Retest Rate

14.6%

2002

Based on 2,890 vehicles

85.8%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.2%

Retest Rate

12.2%

2001

Based on 783 vehicles

88.1%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.0%

Retest Rate

8.2%

2000

Based on 1,340 vehicles

85.0%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.0%

Retest Rate

13.8%

1999

Based on 1,995 vehicles

85.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.0%

Retest Rate

11.5%

1998

Based on 2,476 vehicles

85.0%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.1%

Retest Rate

13.7%

1997

Based on 2,550 vehicles

86.3%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.2%

Retest Rate

13.8%

1996

Based on 2,165 vehicles

86.6%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.2%

Retest Rate

12.4%

1995

Based on 2,011 vehicles

84.7%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.6%

Retest Rate

11.1%

1994

Based on 1,520 vehicles

85.7%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.2%

Retest Rate

10.9%

1993

Based on 579 vehicles

88.8%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.9%

Retest Rate

6.0%

1992

Based on 394 vehicles

86.0%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.5%

Retest Rate

14.7%

1991

Based on 380 vehicles

86.6%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.4%

Retest Rate

11.6%

1990

Based on 247 vehicles

82.2%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.1%

Retest Rate

6.9%

1989

Based on 551 vehicles

82.6%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.5%

Retest Rate

19.9%

1988

Based on 483 vehicles

86.1%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.6%

Retest Rate

12.2%

1987

Based on 387 vehicles

84.5%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

11.6%

1986

Based on 486 vehicles

81.1%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.9%

Retest Rate

14.4%

1985

Based on 567 vehicles

85.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

1.6%

Retest Rate

10.6%

1984

Based on 443 vehicles

76.7%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.8%

Retest Rate

23.8%

1983

Based on 289 vehicles

88.9%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

6.1%

1982

Based on 81 vehicles

84.0%Good

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

0.0%

Retest Rate

14.3%

1981

Based on 66 vehicles

90.9%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.4%

Retest Rate

7.1%

1980

Based on 73 vehicles

90.4%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

2.3%

Retest Rate

6.8%

1979

Based on 37 vehicles

86.5%Excellent

Mercedes Benz average: 90.2%

Dangerous Defects

4.3%

Retest Rate

13.0%

Top MOT Failures — Mercedes Benz SL

The most common reasons a Mercedes Benz SL fails its MOT, aggregated across all year ranges.

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

4.1%

The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

2.7%

A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

2.2%

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

2.0%

Emissions levels exceed default limits

1.9%

Mercedes Benz SL Common Faults & Repair Costs

Where Failures Occur

The areas of the vehicle most commonly flagged during MOT inspections.

Front Nearside

0.9%

Rear Nearside

0.5%

Rear Offside

0.4%

Other Mercedes Benz Models

Compare MOT reliability across Mercedes Benz models.

Mercedes Benz E 300

94.2% pass rate

Mercedes Benz E

83.5% pass rate

Mercedes Benz Amg Gla 45 S 4matic+ Auto

92.7% pass rate

Mercedes Benz V

85.8% pass rate

Mercedes Benz Vito 112

87.8% pass rate

Mercedes Benz Sl 500

100.0% pass rate

Useful MOT Guides

Common MOT Failures

The most common reasons UK vehicles fail their MOT — and how to prepare.

MOT Checklist

Pre-MOT checklist to improve your chances of passing first time.

Advisory vs Failure

Understanding the difference between MOT advisories and failures.

See detailed fault analysis for Mercedes Benz SL

Mercedes Benz SL — Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Mercedes Benz SL MOT and reliability.

What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes Benz SL?

The average MOT pass rate for the Mercedes Benz SL is 86.9% compared to the Mercedes Benz average of 90.2%. Pass rates vary by year — check the year-by-year breakdown on this page for details.

What are the most common MOT failures on a Mercedes Benz SL?

The most common MOT failures on the Mercedes Benz SL are: Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen (4.1%), The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired (2.7%), A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.2%). These are the components most likely to cause an MOT failure.

Is the Mercedes Benz SL reliable?

With an average MOT pass rate of 86.9%, the Mercedes Benz SL is rated as "Excellent" for reliability. This is a strong result suggesting good build quality and fewer common defects.

How do I check the MOT history of a Mercedes Benz SL?

Enter the vehicle's registration number in the search box at the top of this page. You will instantly see the complete MOT history including every test result, mileage readings, advisories, and dangerous defects — completely free.

What mileage should I expect on a Mercedes Benz SL?

Typical mileage for the Mercedes Benz SL: 32,065 miles at 5 years. Use these benchmarks when evaluating a used SL to spot vehicles with unusually high or low mileage.

Check Your Mercedes Benz SL's MOT History

Enter the registration number for the full MOT history — free and instant.