Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2002: reliability & common MOT faults

At a glance

How 712 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time: 60 in every 100
Did not pass first time: 40 in every 100284 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car: 23 yearsabout 122,996 miles
First tests counted: 712

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Lamps and electrical

One fault: individual sidelight or tail light (rear), 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 281 of 284 failed first attempts (98.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Individual sidelight or tail light (rear)

Failed on 29 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A position lamp showing red light to the front or white light to the rear is Major. Rear lamps must show a steady red light, and front ones can show white, predominantly white with a blue tinge, or yellow if combined in a yellow headlamp. With a multiple light source, up to half not working is Minor and more than half is Major.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail.

Suspension arm ball joint (front)

Noted on 48 first tests5.6 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Vehicle structure condition

Noted on 25 first tests5.4 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Wheel bearings (front)

Noted on 24 first tests3.5 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Rigid brake pipes

Noted on 44 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Non-component advisories (front)

Noted on 23 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time: 60in every 100; Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station: 6in every 100; Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed: 34in every 100; Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 60.1% of 712 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 66.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 34 not fixed make the 40 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

Year	Passed first time	First tests
2001	62 in every 100	544
2002 This car	60 in every 100	712
2003	60 in every 100	750
2004	58 in every 100	812
2005	60 in every 100	803
2006	58 in every 100	790
2007	64 in every 100	958
2008	62 in every 100	1,065
2009	67 in every 100	782
2010	68 in every 100	1,007
2011	66 in every 100	1,012
2012	66 in every 100	1,162
2013	70 in every 100	1,191
2014	69 in every 100	1,418
2015	75 in every 100	1,592
2016	75 in every 100	1,217
2017	80 in every 100	1,249
2018	81 in every 100	1,221
2019	84 in every 100	1,128
2020	86 in every 100	991
2021	84 in every 100	734
2022	88 in every 100	650

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Is the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter reliable?

With 712 first tests, there are too few to say whether the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter differs from the model years either side. Treat the faults below as a checklist. In 2025, 60.1% of 712 first MOTs on the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 66.2%. Among 284 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Individual sidelight or tail light (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (10.3% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 2.7× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.

What common MOT faults stand out on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2002?

Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Individual sidelight or tail light (rear) (10.3% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 2.7× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.

Why does Individual sidelight or tail light (rear) stand out?

Individual sidelight or tail light (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (10.3% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 2.7× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.

What are common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter?

Common MOT problem areas for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter include Individual sidelight or tail light (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.

How should I read advisories vs fails?

Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.

What does this Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2002 MOT report cover?

This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.

Does this include engine and gearbox problems?

No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.