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Mercedes-benz 212 vs Mercedes-benz C: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Mercedes-benz 212
67%
MOT pass rate · 209 vehicles
Mercedes-benz C
78%
MOT pass rate · 675,043 vehicles
More reliable
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Mercedes-benz C is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 67%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Mercedes-benz 212 Mercedes-benz C
MOT pass rate 67% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 33% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 3.0 1.7 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 1% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 179,575 mi 112,156 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 209 675,043

Most common faults

Mercedes-benz 212

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  3. Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  4. Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)
  5. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Mercedes-benz C

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  6. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Mercedes-benz C is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 67%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Mercedes-benz 212 report Full Mercedes-benz C report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.