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Mercedes-benz 500 vs Mercedes-benz C: reliability comparison

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

Mercedes-benz 500
77%
MOT pass rate · 4,340 vehicles
Mercedes-benz C
78%
MOT pass rate · 675,043 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mercedes-benz 500 (77%) and Mercedes-benz C (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mercedes-benz 500 Mercedes-benz C
MOT pass rate 77% 78% ✓
MOT failure rate 23% 22% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 1.8 1.7 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 1% ✓ 3%
Average mileage 125,366 mi 112,156 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 4,340 675,043

Most common faults

Mercedes-benz 500

  1. Oil leak
  2. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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 500 (77%) and Mercedes-benz C (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mercedes-benz 500 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.