Mercedes 312
Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 4 years from 305 real MOT tests.
Avg Pass Rate
75%
Total Tests
305
Best Year
1996 (84%)
Years Covered
4
How reliable is the Mercedes 312?
Mercedes 312 by Year
Checking a specific Mercedes 312?
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About the Mercedes 312
The Mercedes 312 has been tested 305 times in 2024 MOT data across 4 model years (1996 to 1999), with an average pass rate of 75%. That's 7 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as diesel.
Best and Worst Years
The 1996 model is the most reliable with a 84% pass rate from 91 tests. The 1997 model has the lowest at 63%. With a 21 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.
Reliability Trend
Older MERCEDES 312s tend to have better MOT pass rates than newer ones, with an average decline of 17 percentage points across model years.
Mileage Across Years
The oldest model in our data (1996) averages 120,870 miles, while the newest (1999) averages 150,478 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.
Compared to the Mercedes brand average of 87%, the 312 is 12 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.