Used car guide

2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: petrol or diesel?

Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions go wrong in different ways, so each has its own figures from the MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Pick the one you’re looking at: the fuel is on the logbook and in the car’s MOT history.

Petrol 58% pass first time (all 2003 cars: 57%) Stands out: ball joint 2.1×, sub-frame 2.2×, engine warning light 2.3× 10,297 MOTsSee the petrol guide › Diesel 58% pass first time (all 2003 cars: 57%) Stands out: ball joint 2.7×, sub-frame 2.5×, diesel smoke emissions 6.9× 3,956 MOTsSee the diesel guide ›

Hybrid versions had too few MOTs for figures of their own, or weren’t sold.

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Other years

Every year of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023380Tyres 16%
20224,795Tyres 26%
202111,663Tyres 27%
202030,441Tyres 29%
201973,990Tyres 29%
201884,961Tyres 30%
2017118,916Tyres 30%
2016110,990Tyres 30%
2015103,655Tyres 30%
201477,294Tyres 31%
201372,996Brakes 31%
201281,468Brakes 39%
201160,864Brakes 39%
201042,612Brakes 39%
200941,744Brakes 41%
200844,156Suspension 42%
200739,195Suspension 48%
200631,275Suspension 55%
200527,259Suspension 57%
200420,438Suspension 57%
20027,932Suspension 48%
20014,263Suspension 47%
20001,993Suspension 41%
19992,498Suspension 36%
19982,759Suspension 38%
19972,187Suspension 44%
19961,272Suspension 37%
1995970Brakes 33%
1994779Suspension 37%
1993–Too few tests