2012 Mercedes-Benz C 2.1L Diesel · WG12 AED

The vehicle’s most recent MOT, conducted on 5 February 2026 at 184,881 miles, passed without any defects—a clean outcome that aligns with the two preceding tests in January 2025, where it also cleared with no issues. However, the two consecutive fails in February 2024 and January 2025, both at around 94,300 and 103,376 miles respectively, suggest a brief but notable period of instability. The absence of recorded defects in these failures implies the issues were likely minor advisories or easily rectifiable items, possibly related to wear-and-tear consumables such as tyres, bulbs, or fluid levels, rather than structural or safety-critical failures. The trend since February 2024 has stabilised, with no further failures or advisories reported, indicating that any underlying concerns were addressed promptly. The mileage accumulation of 13,206 miles per year is high for a 14-year-old vehicle, particularly given the rapid jump between the February 2024 test (94,300 miles) and the January 2025 test (103,376 miles), suggesting either intensive use or a period of inactivity followed by heavy driving. The gap between the February 2024 fail and the January 2025 retest—just over a month—also points to swift rectification of whatever caused the initial failure. The most recent MOT, conducted only five months prior to today, confirms the car remains compliant under current usage, though the elevated mileage will have accelerated wear on components such as suspension bushes, brake pads, and clutch plates. Given the lack of defects in the latest tests, a buyer should focus their inspection on high-wear areas that may not have been flagged but are prone to failure at this mileage. Pay particular attention to the suspension—check for worn or perished bushes, degraded coil springs, or uneven tyre wear, which could indicate alignment or steering issues. The brakes should be scrutinised for binding calipers, uneven disc thickness, or excessive pad wear, especially since the vehicle has covered significant distance in a short time. Exhaust emissions and fluid levels (brake, coolant, power steering) should also be verified, as these are common areas where minor issues might not always trigger an MOT advisory but could indicate deferred maintenance. The absence of corrosion advisories in recent tests suggests no structural concerns, but a thorough underbody inspection is still advisable to rule out hidden rust or fatigue in chassis components.