Mercedes-Benz SLK: reliability by registration year
1997-2016 · 20 registration years · 51,793 first tests
Registration years
First-attempt MOT results for every SLK registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.
| Year | First tests | First-attempt pass | Incl. PRS | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,193 | 82.1% | 83.7% | |
| 2015 | 4,657 | 79.7% | 82.0% | Tyre condition (front) 22.0% |
| 2014 | 4,621 | 76.3% | 78.7% | Tyre condition (front) 19.8% |
| 2013 | 4,318 | 74.2% | 76.5% | Tyre condition (front) 18.8% |
| 2012 | 5,259 | 73.5% | 75.9% | Tyre condition (front) 13.9% |
| 2011 | 2,396 | 75.3% | 77.3% | Tyre condition (front) 14.0% |
| about 3 in every 100 better than the years either side. What most often failed a 2011 SLK: Tyre condition (front) (14.0%) · Coil spring (front) (13.5%) · Suspension arm ball joint (front) (9.8%) | ||||
| 2010 | 1,935 | 70.4% | 73.2% | Suspension arm ball joint (front) 16.3% |
| 2009 | 2,332 | 68.8% | 71.8% | Suspension arm ball joint (front) 17.2% |
| 2008 | 2,946 | 67.2% | 70.4% | Suspension arm ball joint (front) 20.4% |
| 2007 | 3,223 | 66.8% | 70.7% | Suspension arm ball joint (front) 17.8% |
| 2006 | 3,277 | 66.5% | 70.3% | Suspension arm ball joint (front) 15.5% |
| 2005 | 4,173 | 67.2% | 71.3% | Coil spring (front) 14.3% |
| 2004 | 2,631 | 65.6% | 70.5% | Coil spring (front) 11.7% |
| 2003 | 1,449 | 67.1% | 73.7% | Brake light (rear) 11.8% |
| 2002 | 1,588 | 70.8% | 77.1% | Headlight aim 12.1% |
| 2001 | 1,784 | 70.3% | 77.5% | Brake light 10.0% |
| 2000 | 1,457 | 69.3% | 77.4% | |
| 1999 | 1,157 | 70.9% | 78.0% | |
| 1998 | 846 | 70.1% | 75.8% | |
| 1997 | 551 | 67.9% | 73.7% | |