Mercedes 250
Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 10 years from 722 real MOT tests.
Avg Pass Rate
82%
Total Tests
722
Best Year
2009 (90%)
Years Covered
10
How reliable is the Mercedes 250?
Mercedes 250 by Year
Checking a specific Mercedes 250?
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About the Mercedes 250
The Mercedes 250 has been tested 722 times in 2024 MOT data across 10 model years (1990 to 2016), with an average pass rate of 82%. That's close to the national average of 82%. Available as diesel and petrol.
Best and Worst Years
The 2009 model is the most reliable with a 90% pass rate from 59 tests. The 1990 model has the lowest at 76%. The 14 point spread between years means reliability varies somewhat, but no year is dramatically different.
Reliability Trend
Newer MERCEDES 250s show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 3 percentage points.
Mileage Across Years
The oldest model in our data (1990) averages 161,374 miles, while the newest (2016) averages 75,772 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.
Compared to the Mercedes brand average of 87%, the 250 is 5 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Mercedes models.
Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.