Reliability Report · Multi-Source Data

Mercedes-Benz SL Reliability

The Mercedes-Benz SL (current generation) scores 94/100 on our composite reliability index — excellent territory — drawn from DVSA data.

Composite Score
94
/ 100
Excellent
Sources: DVSA · latest 2024
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Reliability by Source

Each independent organization measures reliability differently. TÜV reports inspection defect rates by age band. ADAC reports pan-European breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. NHTSA aggregates US consumer complaints. DVSA MOT data is the UK fleet's annual safety inspection — every car 3+ years old. Lower variance across sources = higher confidence in the composite.

DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2004–2021 · 2024 report · n=26090
26,090 UK MOT tests · overall 10.4% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
96
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2003–2020 · 2023 report · n=14575
14,575 UK MOT tests · overall 14.2% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
91
/ 100

UK MOT Reliability Detail

Based on 26,090 MOT tests in the UK during the 2024reporting period. Score for each age band reflects this model's fail rate vs the UK-fleet baseline fail rate at the same age — a generation-aware metric.

Age 35 yrs
98
3.3% fail vs 10.9% fleet
824 tests
Age 69 yrs
96
6.7% fail vs 19.2% fleet
6,684 tests
Age 1014 yrs
97
10.4% fail vs 32.1% fleet
7,318 tests
Age 1520 yrs
96
13.1% fail vs 38.8% fleet
11,264 tests

Most Common MOT Failure Categories

#1
Condition
2,557
31.5%
#2
Ball joint dust cover
2,531
31.1%
#3
Windscreen
1,245
15.3%
#4
Ball joint
910
11.2%
#5
Mirrors
884
10.9%

Categories ranked across all MOT tests of this model in the UK during the 2024period. "Condition" covers cosmetic / wear issues; suspension and braking dominate the rest.

Compare Against Alternatives

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