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Mercedes-benz 380 vs Mercedes-benz A-class: reliability comparison

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

Mercedes-benz 380
74%
MOT pass rate · 1,539 vehicles
Mercedes-benz A-class
78%
MOT pass rate · 362,612 vehicles
More reliable
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Mercedes-benz A-class is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Mercedes-benz 380 Mercedes-benz A-class
MOT pass rate 74% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 26% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 1.6 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 1% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 114,742 mi 86,210 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 1,539 362,612

Most common faults

Mercedes-benz 380

  1. Oil leak
  2. Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Mercedes-benz A-class

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

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Mercedes-benz A-class is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Mercedes-benz 380 report Full Mercedes-benz A-class 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.