MOT cost .

Mercedes Benz

208 D

612 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where 208 Ds pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 8.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

66.8%

Pass-after-fix

4.7%

Fail

27.9%

Avg miles

129,359

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

208 D: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 612 MOT tests, the 208 D returns 66.8% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is the strength or continuity of the load bearing. A number-plate lamp out and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 129,359, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    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

    78 occurrences · 12.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    44 occurrences · 7.2% of tests

  3. 03

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    32 occurrences · 5.2% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    30 occurrences · 4.9% of tests

  5. 05

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    27 occurrences · 4.4% of tests

  6. 06

    Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced

    26 occurrences · 4.2% of tests

  7. 07

    Exhaust system leaking or insecure

    24 occurrences · 3.9% of tests

  8. 08

    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

    22 occurrences · 3.6% of tests

  9. 09

    Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.

    21 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  10. 10

    Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced

    20 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£28–£80

If every one of this 208 D's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a 208 D?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 208 D and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.