Mercedes 500

1,241 on UK roads in 2025+22 vs 2024

On the road

1,241

1,241 licensed

Change vs 2024

+1.8%

+22 cars

New in 2025

first-time registrations

Electrified

hybrid, plug-in & battery

The Mercedes 500 is an uncommon sight on UK roads, with 1,241 licensed in 2025 - up 1.8% on 2024. 7 were registered new in 2025. The fleet is overwhelmingly petrol (100%), with most in the Over 3.0L class. Most date from the Before 2000 era.

How many are left?

Licensed Mercedes 500 cars on the road over time

New registrations

First-time registrations per year

What the typical Mercedes 500 looks like

Fuel, engine size and age across every Mercedes 500 on the road today.

Fuel mix

Current split

1,241total

Petrol99.5%
Diesel0.1%
Other0.4%

Engine size

Cars on the road by engine capacity

Over 3.0L1,241

How old are they?

Share of cars by the year they were first registered

Before 200098%
2000-20042%

MOT & reliability

2025 MOT data

How a Mercedes 500 holds up at its MOT and how it's driven - from 995 tests, tracked across 2022-2025.

First-time pass rate

Average for its class

85.6%

995 MOT tests in 2025 · 903 first-time

Pass rate over time

2022

84.9%

2023

83.3%

2024

85.8%

2025

85.6%

▲ 0.7 pts since 2022

Pass rate by age

First-time pass rate by the car's age (tested in 2025)

How a Mercedes 500 is driven

tracked across 2022-25

How much it's driven

miles a year, from 1,083 cars tracked across years

892miles a year · low use

98%

low · <5k

1.7%

avg · 5-15k

0.4%

high · 15k+

Most cover 122-912 miles a year (median 375).

Miles driven by age

Yearly mileage as the car ages

Driven most when newer, easing as it gets older.

Mileage & condition

Typical mileage at test

Odometer when tested (2025)

100,676

44,476middle 50%: 69,430-130,227155,328

Typical odometer rising: 101,251 → 102,237 → 100,315 → 100,676

Holds up by mileage

Pass rate as the odometer climbs

Under 40k

87.8%

40-80k

91%

80-120k

84.4%

120k+

82.3%

Petrol vs diesel

First-time pass rate by fuel

Not enough data.

A 2025 Mercedes 500 passes first time 85.6% of the time - above the 77.6% UK average. The typical one is driven about 892 miles a year, and reliability is mostly about miles: 87.8% of low-mileage cars pass versus 82.3% past 120k.

Why a 500 fails its MOT

2025 MOT data

Of 130 first-time fails, here's what gets flagged most. Most cars fail on more than one item, so shares add up past 100%.

Where a 500 fails

Share of failed tests, by area

Lamps & electrical41.5%

Brakes33.1%

Suspension31.5%

Exhaust & emissions20.8%

Visibility14.6%

Body & structure13.1%

Steering10%

Tyres6.9%

Top specific defects

Exact items most often recorded as the reason a car failed

Emissions levels exceed default limits19

Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake16

A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc16

The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements13

An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen12

A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9

Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8

Audible warning inoperative7

19.2% flagged dangerous·2.9 defects per fail·130 fails analysed

Mercedes 500 - frequently asked

How many Mercedes 500 are left in the UK?

There are 1,241 Mercedes 500 cars still licensed on UK roads in 2025, up 1.8% on 2024.

How many new Mercedes 500 were registered in 2025?

7 brand-new Mercedes 500 cars were first registered in 2025.

What fuel does the typical Mercedes 500 use?

Most are petrol - about 100% of all Mercedes 500 on the road, with the majority in the Over 3.0L engine class. In total, 0% are electrified (hybrid, plug-in or battery).

How old is the typical Mercedes 500?

Most Mercedes 500 cars on the road today date from the Before 2000 era.

How reliable is the Mercedes 500?

85.6% of Mercedes 500 cars pass their MOT first time, compared with a UK average of 77.6% across all cars. The typical tested Mercedes 500 has around 98,953 miles on the clock.

Buying a Mercedes 500?

Before you buy a specific Mercedes 500, run its registration through AnalyzeMyCar for MOT history, mileage checks, service history and valuation.

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